


Your Prince Is In Another Castle

by Kayssna, missingnolovefic



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Dungeons and Dragons, Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 18:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5937883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayssna/pseuds/Kayssna, https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingnolovefic/pseuds/missingnolovefic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hunters discover an enigmatic stranger within the mysterious tower that no one had noticed before in the woods surrounding Achievement City. Can they figure out what happened to Jeremy in time to break the Curse? Or will their developing feelings split them apart when they need each other the most?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Somebody's Dead

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: This is what happens when [Kayssna](http://kayssna.tumblr.com) and [Missy](http://miss-ingno.tumbr.com) get bored. Seriously though who authorized this? (aka we’re both terrible enablers and got caught in our own trap this time)
> 
> Warnings: Will add tags with each chapter so make sure to check these each time!
> 
> If you enjoyed our story maybe leave a kudos or a comment? It’s what keeps us happy and healthy! (Besides modern medicine)
> 
> Disclaimer: We do not give permission for this work to be reposted,submitted or read on/to a live stream, show or similar, fic rec lists or blogs excepted.

Jeremy wakes up to a headache, an awful taste in his mouth, and a plethora of voices yelling at each other. It’s really not helping the pounding behind his temple.

“Ryan, what did you do? Ryan!” An accusing, high pitched voice squawks after a moment.

“I didn’t do anything!” Another voice - Ryan, apparently - shouts back. He lets out a small groan and the voices go abruptly quiet.

“He’s awake!” The same high pitched voice calls out to the others, a low murmur filling the room. He’s lying on a bed, lumpy but with decent covers, if a little dusty. The room is lit up from a window, a slight breeze is ruffling through his hair. Jeremy frowns, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“Where am I?” Jeremy croaks, throat dry.

“We didn’t kill that dude, promise!” Another voice joins in, this one further away, and Jeremy decides that he should probably open his eyes now. He cracks them open a slit and is immediately met with a pair of curious green eyes. The owner of the eyes gives a small yelp as he jumps backwards.

“Who’s dead?” Jeremy murmurs. He tries to sit up, but the room is spinning. He shuts his eyes tight and rubs a hand over his face. The last thing he remembers is standing out in the field, surrounded by raiders-

_-a sword heading straight for Matt, and he panics, he’s too far, he can’t swing his sword around in time, he drops it and screams, rushing forward, why is he not wearing heavier armour, he should have insisted, he should-_

“Look, he just- fell over, or something.”

“Is he even dead?” Another of the men pipes up, peering suspiciously at the maybe-corpse of an elderly man with long grey hair and beard. Jeremy squints at him with slitted eyes, the light still too bright. 

The man with painted skin steps closer, pressing the tips of two fingers against the old man’s throat. He counts silently for a few second, then shakes his head and backs away.

“Yup. Dead as dicks.”

Jeremy ignores their antics as the world finally steadies. He holds himself up with a hand on the wall next to the, the bed he’s lying on. They still haven’t answered him, he doesn’t know where he is, and suddenly he can’t breathe, his throat just closes off, because there’s a dead man lying at the foot of the bed and he can’t remember how he got here, and where the fuck is-

“Where’s Matt?” Jeremy demands, looking around, head whipping back and forth as he searches for his friend. Something niggles at the back of his mind. A sudden pain flares up in his chest, and he fists his shirt, hand pressing to his fast beating heart. Matt’s voice a whisper in his ear like a memory, phantom arms holding him up-

“ _Gods, please, hear my prayer_.” Matt’s voice, desperate and scared, breaking and stumbling over his words- “ _A heart for a heart, a life for a life.”_

It pierces his skull and sends a shockwave of pain through his body. Jeremy convulses, shuddering against the stone wall as sudden dread creeps over him.

_“Let this good man rest before he dies. He shall sleep a hundred years ‘til goodwill comes and breaks his curse.”_

"Oh god is _he_ dead now?!” the shrill voice exclaims incredulously, and when Jeremy opens his eyes again - when had he closed them? - the curious green eyes he had seen earlier are turning frantic. “We can’t just have killed two people in one day!”

“We’ve killed more than that within a day before,” a new voice drawls, and then laughs at the horrified look sent his way.

“Michael. Don’t be like that, Michael,” the green-eyed man sputters.

Jeremy pushes himself upright, and he’s sure that in any other situation he would be laughing, but instead he throws himself past the flailing man dressed in green towards the corpse on the floor. A shiver of trepidation crawls down his spine as he kneels next to it.

He takes a deep breath and with a shaking hand he turns the dead man over. He stares for a moment, before swallowing and exhaling shakily with relief. “Who is this man, then?”

“We have no idea,” a large ginger haired man with a bushy beard says, standing uncertainly just behind his shoulder. Jeremy glances up at him, but returns his focus back to the dead man, frowning.

The five guys exchange looks, but Jeremy can only stare. The old man looks oddly familiar, like he should recognize him. He vaguely resembles Matt, he thinks, a family member perhaps? Except he can’t remember Matt ever mentioning any family and they’ve gotten really close these last few years.

“Well, _somebody’s_ dead,” the green-clad man points out shrilly.

“Well, no duh!” the man covered in bearskin retorts.

“I hereby award you, Sir Gavin of the Free, the title of Captain Obvious,” the painted man announces officiously.

“Can you do that?” Gavin asks, and is immediately met with an incredulous look. “What?”

“You’re fucking stupid,” the man covered in bearskin says before he looks back down at Jeremy. “So you don’t know who the fuck this guy is?”

Jeremy shakes his head. “No fucking clue. I don’t even remember how I got here. Or where here is, for that matter.”

The ginger haired man gazes at him thoughtfully, stroking his beard. “The old man said something, before he died.” Jeremy just looks at him blearily and shrugs.

"Did you get kidnapped?” Gavin cuts in excitedly, “I told you that that old man looked shady! Are you a prince? You don’t look like a prince.”

“Shut up, stupid,” Michael growls, slapping the green-clad man up the head.

“Ow! Michael!” Gavin whines, and the painted man steps forward to push them apart, taking a swig from a silver flask.

“Ignore them,” he orders, “Jack, what were you saying about the old man?”

“Nothing,” the ginger who apparently is called Jack shrugs, but his sharp eyes are appraising Jeremy like he’s trying to puzzle him out. The painted man glances at him sharply but seems to let it go as he scrubs a hand over his face.

“Who are you guys, anyway?” Jeremy asks, sitting back on his haunches. His eyes feel dried out, his head is pounding and his chest still aches. And Matt is still missing, and he has no idea where he could be.

“Oh, right! Introductions!” the man with paint all over his arms cries out, suddenly slamming his fist on his palm in realization. “So, I’m Sir Geoff, the leader of this merry band. Ginger over there’s Jack-”

The bearded man waves at him cheerily.

“Tall, dark and murderous is Ryan-”

“Hey!” the guy in the kilt protests.

“The idiot in green’s called Gavin-”

“Oi,” the man in question complains, folding his arms, “I’m not-!”

“And the name of our pet bear over there is Mich-”

“Mogar,” The man wearing the bearskin interrupts, scowling.

“But didn’t he just call you-?” Jeremy starts and is met with a glare that automatically makes him sit up straighter despite his exhaustion.

“Mogar,” the man repeats shortly.

Geoff rolls his eyes, but drops it. “Anyway we’re known as the Achievement Hunters, we work for the Order of Rooster Teeth,” he continues blithely, brushing his nails against the cloth at his shoulder. “You’ve probably heard of us.”

“No?” Jeremy says hesitantly, wracking his brain for any rumour of either this group or their order but coming up empty. The men freeze and stare at him disbelievingly. Jeremy shrugs, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry?”

“Well this is new,” Ryan states, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“And awkward,” Gavin pipes up, blinking like he’s in shock. “It’s awkward, innit?”

Even Geoff crosses his arms now. “You’re not from around here, then?” he questions amicably, but there is a certain sharp undertone that sends a shiver down his spine.

“Where _is_ here?” Jeremy asks. His voice is rising hysterically because none of this makes sense.

“We’re in the woods near Portal House,” Jack says, and Jeremy gives him a blank look. His heart is beating too fast, and there’s not enough air. His chest clenches, and for a wild second he wonders if he’s bleeding. Touches the skin over his heart, but there’s no telltale red fluid clinging to his skin or clothes. His gaze flickers between the five strangers.

“What does that mean?” he chokes out, grateful for the fact that he’s already sitting down.

“Hey, calm down,” Jack replies in alarm, leaning down to put a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. Jeremy flinches backwards out of his reach and then gags as his hand brushes against the corpse behind him. He scrambles up, stumbles back until he hits the wall, feeling dizzy.

“You’ve never heard of Portal House?” Michael- Mogar- demands, shoulders tense. Jeremy shakes his head wildly, staring back at them wide eyed.

“It’s alright,” Jack tries to reassure him, his voice low and soothing. “We don’t mean you any harm. Just breathe. Follow my lead. In, out, in, and out…”

Jeremy loses himself to the man’s instructions before making the mistake of grabbing at his hair. It slides through his fingers and he stares at it. He’d never worn his hair long, it was too easy to take advantage of in a fight. He’s not clean shaven either, and he doesn’t recognize his clothing - they’re old, thin from too many washes, but not teary from wear.

“This isn’t right-” Jeremy whispers, letting go of his hair like his hands are on fire. “Gods, none of this is right-”

“You’re telling me,” Geoff murmurs, glancing around. “It’s downright spooky.” He shivered excessively.

“Geoff,” Jack says disapprovingly, before beginning to count again. This time, Jeremy manages to follow him clumsily through the steps until he gets his breathing back under control again. His heartbeat slows down and he stops shaking after a while. The others keep their distance, except for Jack who’s crouching in front of him. At least, he’s not trying to touch him again.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Jeremy asserts, straightening his shoulders. “But I don’t know you, there’s a dead man lying over there, and I have no idea where my friend is or what you’ve done to him.”

He takes them in truly for the first time. The leader - Geoff - is wearing medium armour, a sword hanging sheathed from his belt. He has a terrible mustache and droopy eyes. Next to him the green clad man fidgets, a pouch of something at his side - herbs, maybe? - and some sort of wooden staff tied to his back. He is blond with a scruffy beard just growing in and appears entirely too nervous for a veteran fighter. Young, too. The rookie of the group, probably.

Behind them lurks Ryan - _tall, dark and murderous_ , Geoff had introduced him, and Jeremy can feel his watchful gaze. He can’t make out more than a few knives strapped onto his person - one at the hip, one in the left boot, another on his thigh - but there’s probably more. A rogue, then. One that wears a red kilt, which, weird, but he’s seen weirder.

Jack is still crouching in front of him, watching him with something like concern - for what, his well-being? Or worried that he would attack? Jeremy’s not stupid, he’s outnumbered and unarmed, and he doesn’t like the situation one bit. The ginger hair and beard are his most conspicuous features, and he doesn’t seem to carry any weapons at all.

Mogar, or Michael, or whatever he’s called, looks the most intimidating out of all five of them, with his bearskin and stripes of red paint across his cheek. His chest is bare and he is carrying a big-ass blue sword on his back. He is also, Jeremy realizes with trepidation, glowering at him.

“So, who the hell are you, then?” he barks out when Jeremy meets his eyes.

“Yeah, dude, we like, fucking introduced ourselves, and we still don’t have your name,” Geoff adds, raising his eyebrows, “that’s fucking rude.”

“Jeremy,” he answers curtly, clenching his jaw. His gaze flits between them, trying to keep tabs on where they are and what they’re doing.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Jack says, forcing Jeremy’s focus back on him. He stands up and holds a hand out with a kind smile that raises Jeremy’s hackles even further. He feels wrong-footed, insecure with no weapon or armour, no plan or idea where he is and how he got here. Warily, he grabs the offered hand and lets himself be pulled up.

 _I wish Matt was here_ , Jeremy thinks wistfully. He and Matt have always had each other’s backs and he misses his friend fiercely. He can’t quite remember the last time they split up - or were forcefully separated. _He has to be okay. He has to._

An awkward silence hangs over the room, and for a moment, they all stare at each other warily.

“So!” Gavin claps his hands, and Jeremy flinches at the sudden noise. “Who’s up for some good, old-fashioned looting?”

A general murmur of agreement sweeps through the group, and Jeremy immediately starts heading for the old man’s body before a hand tightens on his arm.

“I think we should try somewhere else,” Jack says, and he’s escorted out of the room with Jack holding onto one side and Geoff walking closely on the other.

“I really hope you aren’t going to kill me,” Jeremy mentions flippantly when the door closes behind them.

"What?” Geoff responds, absent-minded as he nods Jack towards the other side of the circular stone hallway. Then it seems to sink in what Jeremy just said, “Wait, what? No! Why?”

“We’re not going to kill you,” Jack assures him, “We just don’t trust you.”

“That normally leads to the same thing, in my experience,” Jeremy replies grimly. “And you should probably tell _Mogar_ that you don’t plan to kill me.”

“Michael’s not gonna kill you,” Geoff waves him off, before a small savage smile curls his lips. “Unless you try to kill us first.”

“Not really my style,” Jeremy mutters. “Especially when I’m outnumbered.”

“Smart man,” Geoff says appraisingly, as he and Jack start walking towards the only other door on this floor. Jeremy trails behind them as Geoff grabs the door and opens it into a very plain and barely furnished room. There’s a bed in one corner, a desk by the window and a chest and drawer by the bed, but that was it.

“Huh,” Jack remarks, sounding disappointed. “You would’ve thought that a shady old dude in a tower would’ve had more cool stuff hidden away.”

“Hey,” Jeremy objects, vaguely offended. Geoff glances back for a moment before laughing, a loud, wonderfully wild sound that warms Jeremy from his head to his toes. They do a quick sweep through and find next to nothing. The chest contains clothes that are about to fall apart, the small desk merely a broken quill and dried out inkwell.

“Looks like the old man kept nothing of value in here,” Jack muses, as he hands Jeremy a small dagger that he’d found in the bedside drawer.

“Except for Jeremy, of course,” Geoff says still chortling quietly to himself.

Jack rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling, and Jeremy feels pang  at the easy banter, something he and Matt used to enjoy, too-

 _Focus, Dooley_ , he thinks, twirling the dagger experimentally, _get out, get safe, then you can go find him. Matt is_ fine. _He knows how to take care of himself._

They linger for a while longer, Geoff absently rifling through the clothes while Jack presses against random bricks in the stonework. Jeremy knows they’re stalling, can understand why, but the waiting is grating on his nerves. His headache has receded a little, but now his stomach is growling and he wonders how many days he’s been out of it- or been kept unconscious by the old man.

Judging by the length of his hair, it must have been quite some time. He wonders what happened to Matt. If he is trying to find him. If he's as worried about Jeremy as Jeremy is about him.

“You should see some of the stuff we found in Jeremy’s room!” Gavin exclaims as he bursts into the room, chattering a mile a minute. “And Rye-bread found a study upstairs, but he says most of the books are useless, they’re super old and breaking apart at the seams, but he managed to grab some components, so we’re assuming the old guy was some sort of spellcaster, maybe a sorcerer? Who knows.”

Jeremy watches in bemusement as the blond gesticulates wildly, nearly vibrating out of his skin with excitement. Sees the fond looks the two older men exchange over his head. Feels another pang of longing, of loss-

He swallows, heavily, and says, “So we don’t need to stay here right?”

Jack throws Geoff a stern look, as the man crosses his arms and frowns. The ginger just shakes his head slightly, and Gavin raises his eyebrows. It’s the sort of easy, silent communication he has down pat with Matt, and by the gods, how much he misses him-

“Alright, dickheads,” Geoff grumbles finally, turning back to Jeremy. “You’re coming with us until we figure out what’s going on here. No dirty tricks.”

Jeremy raises his hands in surrender. “Me? Of course not. It’s like you don’t even know me.”

Geoff snorts gruffly while Gavin makes a bird-like sound. Glancing over at the blond, Jeremy realizes that he’s _laughing_.

What kind of shitty day was fate having that it stuck him with these weirdos?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knows when we'll get around to updating? Seriously, who, and can we get their number, we'd like to know, too.
> 
> PS: Barbara is totally a tiefling sorceress.


	2. That'll Be On His Tombstone, 'He Felt Fine'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan has a secret, Jeremy talks to Jack and chaos ensues.

Ryan is sitting up in the tree, watching the others settle their beddings around the campfire. He has first watch tonight, like most nights. Not that he doesn’t trust the others. He just doesn’t trust that Geoff won’t fall asleep halfway through, or that Gavin won’t get distracted. Usually they rotate the night watch between Michael, Jack and Ryan, but Michael has been showing an aggression bordering on territorial regarding their latest… addition.

They’re heading for Felix’ waystation, only a couple days walk from here. They're an affiliate of Lindsay’s, the Hunters will be able to report on their findings there and gather more information. The bounty office is paying them handsomely, after all, and there’s no better network than theirs. If anyone has anything on this kid, it will have to be them. His hand automatically reaches into his pouch, fingers skimming over the parchment he has… liberated from the tower.

Ryan waits for the others to fall asleep before pulling out the scroll. He scowls, nails running over the broken wax seal. It pulses weakly in warning, the energies contained within fading slowly. Felix probably wouldn’t be much help with this riddle, and something keeps him from just telling the others.

He just doesn’t want the newbie to overhear anything, he assures himself.

He taps the scroll of parchment against his lips, gaze fixed on their latest companion. Ryan is suspicious by nature, always questioning motives and goals. It has saved his skin on numerous occasions before. And the new guy… they don’t know shit about him. Zilch. Nada.

He says his name is Jeremy, and Ryan is inclined to believe him on that if only because the scroll is addressed to a Jeremy. It’s signed by a person called Matt, and he vaguely recalls Jeremy asking the whereabouts of such aperson when he first woke. So far everything checks out, except...

Except that Jeremy hasn’t told them anything at all. It’s obvious that he’s not from around here, but Ryan isn’t sure he buys the innocent, naive no-clue-how-I-got-here spiel. It’s too convenient, for one. He’s acting too guarded. And Jeremy’s memory certainly seems intact enough that he remembers that name. _Matt_.

That’s another puzzle that frustrates Ryan, and he’s not used to the feeling. The scroll is written in code, except for the address and the undersigned. The wax seal seems vaguely familiar, like something from long forgotten history lessons. Something religious, and just powerful enough that it burned Ryan’s hands a little when he first tried to open it. The letter was complex enough that even after a solid hour of studying Ryan hasn’t figured out a single word, and if there is one thing he hates, truly hates, it is a mystery left unsolved.

Jeremy could probably decipher the code immediately and tell them what is inside, however, that presumes that they can trust the man. It isn’t just about Ryan’s pride - though he is self-aware enough to admit that it plays a part. They need to figure out who this guy is and why he was in that tower. The rumours are hard to shake. Strange figures walking the shadows. The Queen has doubled the border patrols over the last few weeks.

Ryan frowns, turning the scroll around again. In the dim light he can barely make out the letters, and he isn’t hit by an epiphany. He glances up at the sky and sighs before scaling down the tree, to wake Jack for the next watch. Seems like he’ll have to brood over the letter another time.

* * *

_“Watch out, Jay!” Matt calls out, and Jeremy turns just in time to bring up his sword and parry the hit. They’re surrounded and outnumbered, and he’s not sure how long they can hold. They need a way out of here._

_“Your mother fucks sheep in the Nether!” Jeremy taunts his opponent, prancing backwards on light feet until his back hits Matt’s. He hears the other stifle a laugh and can’t help but grin. His enemy snarls and abandons all strategy in his approach, his words cutting deep._

_Matt mutters a spell under his breath, the clearing filling with blindingly bright light. Jeremy has to close his eyes, his hand coming up to shield them-_

_He opens them again, and it is pitch dark. His stomach sinks, his breath starts coming faster. No, no, not again, not_ again, _Matt, where is Matt. He’s on his knees, and he buries his fingers into the ground. It crumbles in his palms like dust and blows away with a sudden breeze. Something chitters in the distance, and his head whips around towards the sound._

_“Matt?” he calls out, scrambling to his feet. “Matt, is that you? Matt!?”_

_His voice echoes in the darkness, and he shivers, hugging himself. He starts stumbling forward, picking a direction at random, squinting to see anything but the darkness is impenetrable._

_“Matt! Answer me, dammit!”_

_Voices on his right. Indistinguishable, but somewhat familiar. Jeremy falters, straining to hear. He can barely make them out, and his chest tightens. Something is wrong, so very, very wrong. He starts running, tries to reach the voices, but they’re not Matt, he’s going the wrong way, this is wrongwrongwrong-_

_He skids to a halt, bending over, hands resting on his knees as he gulps down air. The voices are louder, and he trembles with recognition- Geoff, that was Geoff, then Gavin’s squawk, raucous laughter and nononono, he chose the wrong path, how will he ever find Matt now?_

_He turns and sprints off in the opposite direction, panting hard, air cold in his chest, his lungs burning. A dull thud, like a door falling close with a grim finality, booms through the darkness and shakes Jeremy to the core. Too late now, he thinks hysterically, a lump building in his throat. Too late, too late-_

_A sudden piercing pain in his chest, and Jeremy looks down, staring incomprehensibly at the sword buried in his thorax, stabbing him straight through the heart. He reaches out with quivering fingers, starts pulling at the hilt as the world slows down. Blood rushes through his ears, thundering loudly in the silence. The hilt glows where his bloody fingers brush it, and a sigil appears, burning itself into the guard-_

 

Jeremy gasps awake, bolting upright and clutching his chest. He wheezes, chest heaving, heart beating too fast. The fire that had been roaring when he fell asleep is now down to a few glowing embers. For a moment he can’t quite remember where he is.

“Jeremy? Are you alright?” Jack asks in a low voice from where he’s sitting a few feet to his right, staring out into the darkness. Jeremy looks up and meets his questioning gaze for a blink, then turns his head away. He breathes shakily through his nose, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.

“I’m fine,” he responds shortly and is ridiculously grateful when Jack doesn’t call him out on the obvious lie.

“Alright,” Jack replies calmly. After a moment Jeremy throws back his blanket, standing up on shaky legs and stalking over to the ginger, plopping down beside him. “Want to help me keep watch for a bit?”

Jeremy bites his lower lip, the offer to keep watch by himself on the tip of his tongue. He closes his eyes and sighs, the familiar sigil burned into his eyelids. His throat constricts, and he swallows, missing Matt with a vengeance.

“Sure,” he settles on after a moment, avoiding Jack’s keen look. Jack nods, and proceeds to maintain his silent vigil over the camp. Jeremy stares out into the darkness, eyes flitting about, trying to make out shapes. After a second he has to move his gaze to his hands. The darkness from his nightmare is crowding too close, images imposing themselves on the forest that surrounds them.

“Jeremy,” Jack says, quietly after a moment, startling Jeremy out of his paranoia. He jerks his gaze up and meets Jack’s eyes. “It’ll be alright. We’ll figure this out.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” he insists.

Jack gives him a kind smile, and for a moment Jeremy can’t help but resent it. Why? He’s not entirely sure. He loathes that this man isn’t Matt. He hates that he’s here around a dying campfire surrounded by unfamiliar snoring in a place he doesn’t recognize. He resents that every time he breathes it feels like an open wound in his chest. He stares at Jack a second more before tearing his eyes away.

 _I need to find Matt,_ Jeremy thinks, staring once again into the distance. _I need to get away from these guys and find Matt. I should just cut and run. I don’t even know these people._ He shoots Jack a look from the corner of his eyes. _I’m not sure where they’re going and who they are. But I don’t even know where I am, while they seem to have a pretty good idea._ He presses his lips together, brow drawn. _I need more information._

“You five seem pretty close,” he murmurs, breaking the silence. Jack turns and throws him a grin, apparently glad for the change of topic.

“We are. We’ve been at this for a while now.” He grows quiet, thoughtful. “We used to have a sixth, but. Well.”

Jeremy instantly feels bad for asking, hugging his knees to his chest. He can’t even imagine what he’d do without Matt. Even now as they are separated, he still has hope- no, _certainty-_ that they will find each other again. They always do.

“Are you usually on your own?” Jack inquires, gaze fixed into the deep shadows between the trees. Jeremy grimaces. Fair’s fair, he supposes.

“No,” he whispers hoarsely. “Not normally, no.” Jeremy swallows, hunching in on himself. Jack waits silently for him to gather his thoughts. “I have a… a partner.”

Jack is glancing his way now, and Jeremy buries his head against his legs, breathe hitching.

“You called for someone when you first woke up,” he muses, shifting so that his legs are sprawled before him and he is holding himself up with his hands. “Matt, was it?”

Jeremy nods tightly, avoiding Jack’s knowing eyes.

“Yeah, Matt. He’s,” Jeremy falters, not sure how to end his sentence. It feels like he’s supposed to explain more with Jack’s expectant pause nearly smothering him, but every time he opens his mouth to say something it feels like a lump forms at the base of his throat until he can’t force any words out.

“Yeah,” he finishes lamely.

He stares unseeing out into the darkness again, but this time he keeps the images from his nightmares at bay. Instead he can almost imagine it’s still yesterday, that it’s Matt’s breathing, not Jack’s, that is filling the night air. Silently keeping watch together when neither of them can find sleep, until one of them lays their head on the other’s shoulder and nods off.

They sit quietly for a long time, before Jeremy stirs from his introspection.

“I’ll try to catch some more Zs,” he mutters offhandedly, already heaving himself up and shuffling over to his spot. He can feel Jack’s eyes on him, even as he turns his back to the man and fakes falling asleep.

* * *

The next day, travel is peaceful. Geoff shakes him awake with a cheery “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!” and he rolls out of the bedding blearily.

“Morning,” he yawns, and Gavin shoots him a slightly guilty smile.

“Morning,” Jack responds, as he passes Jeremy a tin cup of coffee.

“Thanks,” Jeremy cheers, toasting him with the cup before slamming it back. It burns perfectly and Jeremy shakes his head as the fog of a restless night clears from his mind.

“Breakfast,” Mogar offers gruffly as he shoves some rations towards Jeremy. Jeremy nods at him and tears into them, not having realized how hungry he was until that moment.

“So,” Geoff says, “Plans for today.”

They shoot each other pointed looks, and Jeremy realizes they don’t want to exactly discuss this in front of him, but are also wary to let him out of their sight.

“We’ll take you with us to the City,” Jack says, phrased like an offer, but it’s a decision made without his input. The others nod. And while Jeremy knows it’s his best bet to figure out how to get somewhere he knows, he also resents it. It makes him feel like a prisoner.

“So, Felix?” Ryan asks, and Jeremy frowns.

“Yeah, we should get there in a couple days,” Jack agrees. Mogar shrugs, and Gavin grins when the ginger turns to look at them.

“Felix, then,” Geoff decides, and Jeremy still has no clue what that means, hates that they speak in code around him. His stomach sinks, and he watches his companions through narrow eyes. He doesn’t know them, doesn’t trust them. For all he knows, this could be a trap.

He wonders why they would go through with such an elaborate and convoluted scheme just to get him. He’s not well-known, though he has his fair share of enemies. What if they separated him from Matt on purpose? Do they know where Matt is? _What if it’s a trap for Matt?_

They follow a small path through the forest. He watches Geoff and Gavin goof off, all too aware of the eyes boring into his back. He turns around, and there is Mogar a couple steps behind him, keeping an eye on him. The trees loom higher after that, the light filtering through the leaves growing dimmer.

Around noon Jack holds up a hand, squinting into the distance. Everyone stops and listens carefully. Jeremy can hear the leaves rustling as the wind brushes through, but there’s no sound of wildlife, no birds singing. He shrugs, trying to be patient. Something must have tipped the ginger off. Jack turns around to them, waving to where the path continues around a bend.

They all hesitate for a moment before they began gesticulating between themselves silently, punctuated by quiet snorts and eye rolls. He’s not sure what’s going on, but soon Ryan let’s out a frustrated huff and throws up his hands, before sneaking off into the underbrush. Jeremy opens his mouth, trying to ask what’s going on, but Jack immediately hushes him. His jaw snaps shut, and he grinds his teeth, but stays quiet.

He shifts restlessly as they wait for Ryan to return. The bush rustles slightly, causing Jeremy to frown. He’s seen sneakier rogues in his time. The older man beckons them off to the side, and they make their way gradually through the thicket. They stop a distance away from the road they’ve been following.

“Bandits,” Ryan murmurs, gesturing where he scouted ahead. “At least eight, maybe more. They’ve set up an ambush half a mile down the road.”

Geoff frowns, and then shakes his head. “We’re not going to fight eight bandits for no reason,” he informs them firmly.

Mogar makes a sound of protest. “We can take them,” he disagrees, glowering.

“I don’t think now is the time,” Jack says and glances pointedly over at Jeremy. Mogar does the same before huffing.

Jeremy bites his tongue. He’s not stupid, he can’t shoot off his mouth here. He’s still their prisoner, no matter what else his ‘escort’ likes to call it. He repeats those words to himself. _Don’t be stupid, don’t say anything._

“Somebody can stay with-” Mogar starts to argue before Geoff gives him a stern look.

“Let’s take a vote,” he says. “Who wants to fight the bandits?”

Mogar’s and Gavin’s hands shoot up immediately, and after a second Ryan’s does too, though the older man gives their leader a sheepish look.

“Alright,” Geoff sighs, resigned amusement on his face, “who doesn’t want to fight the bandits?”

Jack’s hand shoots up. Geoff’s hand follows. Jeremy watches them with raised eyebrows.

“Well, I’m the leader so my vote counts for three, we aren’t fighting them,” Geoff declares, before disappearing into the underbrush. The effect is slightly undermined by the fact halfway through a piece of metal clinks against a tree.

Mogar grits his teeth, glares at Jeremy, and then promptly stamps off after the knight. Jack follows behind, and Ryan pushes Jeremy forward to walk between him and Jack. Gavin takes the rear, his footsteps curiously silent on the forest floor as he blends into the backdrop. Jeremy forgets about him easily, and it shocks him when he realizes that. The Gavin he knows has been loud and stumbling over his own feet since the moment he’s met him.

They’re not a stealthy group all around. Geoff clanks his way through the underbrush cursing, and Michael’s agitated growling does not go unnoticed either. Jack and Ryan are quiet on their feet as they follow a couple paces behind the others, and Jeremy does his best not to give them away. He only has the small knife and his words to defend himself with, and he doesn’t like relying on his new _companions_ for safety.

“Duck!” Gavin suddenly yelps, and Jeremy is dropping to the floor before the word sinks in. An arrow barely whistles past his ear, and several more stick into the tree up ahead with a _thunk_. Mogar roars, blood is dripping down one of his arms as he grabs his sword and rushes into the forest from where the arrows came.

Ryan grabs Jeremy's arm and hauls him off the ground, pushing him forward.

“Run!” Jack cries, and Jeremy sets off without a thought, stumbling off into the thicket, Gavin right behind him. The sound of steel meeting steel sounds behind them. Geoff curses, and then Jack drops out of sight. Gavin grabs his hand and pulls him with him, zigzagging through the brushes. A knife lands in a branch just over his head, and Jeremy stumbles.

Ryan appears out of nowhere, a puff of dark smoke clinging to his cloak as he tackles Gavin to the ground just as three more knives fly through the air. One of them hits Gavin’s shoulder and the blond cries out in alarm. Jeremy tucks himself into a roll, kneeling down behind a big boulder. He looks around wildly, Gavin and Ryan having vanished from the space they’d occupied only seconds before, and Jeremy stiffles a curse.

He knows he can’t rely on these virtual strangers, but it still stings to be left alone. On the other hand… _This is my chance to slip away. Return to the tower, find out what happened, find_ Matt.

The sound of leaves crunching under someone’s foot to his left has Jeremy up and running again, dodging behind a thick tree to avoid a javelin. Then there’s an almost inhuman roar, a thud and then a spray of blood coats most of the tree, some splattering onto Jeremy’s shirt and face. He flinches, hand coming up immediately to wipe away the fluid.

He peeks past the tree to see Mogar standing over his attacker, chest heaving and covered in blood. His teeth are bared and there’s a fierce glint in his eyes as he turns to two other bandits Jeremy hasn’t noticed before. He rushes at them with a warcry, his sword glowing ominously, the bright blue turning the forest around them into something surreal.

Michael meets the guy with the great axe head on, the other bandit circling around to flank him. He draws jagged, nasty looking daggers from his belt, and Jeremy-

Jeremy hesitates. Knows that he should intervene, that he should help the warrior. That it would be the right thing to do. _He’s always shouting at you_ , a little voice of doubt whispers in his ear, and Jeremy is rooted to the spot. _He’ll kill you after he kills them. So easy to tell the others that you were simply too late. He wanted to get rid of you since the start._

His gaze flickers to his left, the path isn’t far from here. If he runs now, he can find his way back to the tower easily, and he’ll have a headstart, and maybe the others won’t follow him, but he needs to decide now, he needs to go before-

A cry of pain has his head whipping back around, to where Mogar is holding his side, blood running over his hand. Jeremy shivers, watching wide-eyed as Mogar swings up his sword with a shout, neatly slicing his opponent in half. The other bandit yells angrily, and Jeremy draws his knife and throws before he can think of it. The rogue dodges to the side, but it gives Mogar just enough time to turn and defend himself.

And Jeremy realizes that he’s wasting time, _this is your only chance_ , and he turns tail and starts running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes, a cliffhanger :D Sorry, not sorry?


	3. Leap of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prophecies, visions, all that destiny-bullshit. Geoff is not impressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Right when you thought both of us where dead we post a new chapter! It's amazing!
> 
> (The comments totally helped. Every time we got one there was a spur of activity on our side.)

Jeremy tears through the forest, wincing as he hears Mogar let out a roar of fury. Branches snag at his worn clothes, and leave angry red marks across his skin. Sticks crack under his feet, but he’s not trying for stealth, just speed, just trying to get away-

‘ _You just left him there,’_ he thinks dismayed, as he stumbles forward. ‘ _What if he gets killed because you_ left _?’_

Subconsciously, he slows down until he comes to a complete stop. He takes a second to double over, hands on his knees as he sucks in breath after deep breath. His legs are shaking.

' _You should go back,’_ Matt’s voice echoes in the back of his mind, and Jeremy realizes horrified that if he runs away now he’ll have to explain this to Matt. Explain to him why he left these people - strangers, his kidnappers, maybe even his rescuers, but superficially good people nonetheless - to fight on their own while he ran. His chest feels tight as he gasps for breath, trying to weigh his options.

 _‘I can’t go back_ now _,’_ he concludes after a moment and shivers as he imagines what Mogar will do to him if he returns after all that. The man has it out for him, and by running he just proved him right. He clenches his fists. Besides, Matt is his priority - he can check on the others after he finds him. Jeremy straightens, eyes narrowing in determination.

 _‘Just keep going_ ,' he decides, and path chosen starts walking forward confidently.

He makes it two steps before a hand is slapped over his mouth. Jeremy is pulled back against a solid figure, taller than he - big surprise there - and the other arm clamps around his waist. He twists and kicks backwards, shouts getting muffled by his attacker’s hand until a vaguely familiar voice hisses “ _Quiet_.”

Jeremy stops struggling and goes stock-still. The hand drops from his face, and he whirls around to glare at Ryan. The rogue doesn’t even have the good grace to look sheepish. Instead, the taller man is frowning down at him, firmly holding onto his elbow. Jeremy tries to tug free to no avail.

“You scared-,” he protests in a harsh whisper, but before he can finish, a large, dark portal opens up beneath their feet, and then he’s falling. Barely a moment later they’re standing back in the clearing where they split up before, and he stumbles forward, nearly dropping to his knees if it weren’t for Ryan’s firm grip on his arm. He doesn’t even have time to wonder what kind of rogue knows portal magics before Jeremy becomes aware of a different danger.

“You!” Mogar roars, and Jeremy immediately cringes backwards, swaying when Ryan lets go of him and moves out of the way. Carefully he takes a step back as the furious man approaches.

“Michael,” Jack starts soothingly, his eyes darting between them even as he continues steadily bandaging Gavin’s shoulder, “calm down.”

“He was trying to run away,” Mogar growls, pointing at Jeremy. “The moment my back was turned and I was busy fighting, the first opportunity he was thinking of _fleeing_.” He sneers, spitting blood onto the ground. The others turn their heads, mustering Jeremy distrustfully.

“Look,” Jeremy says warily, holding his hands up in surrender, as he tries to think of a way to spin the tale in his favor. “I’m unarmed, what did you think I would do?”

“But you’re not denying it,” Ryan points out, watching him with narrowed eyes. At Jeremy’s wide-eyed look he clarifies, “That you were running away, not just running.”

Jeremy’s shoulders slump. Gavin shoots him a disappointed look. Jack’s brows are furrowed as his eyes sweep over him. Jeremy grimaces, remembering the other man handed him a knife back at the tower. Clearly he remembers as well, going by the questioning look he’s shooting Jeremy.

Jeremy let's his face go blank and calm as he straightens his shoulders back up. “I'm sorry,” he says.

“Sorry wouldn't have stopped me from getting killed,” Mogar growls.

“Oh, I'm sure you would've preferred me to die instead,” Jeremy snaps back, the calm snatched away from him before he even has a chance to let it settle. Mogar bares his teeth in a snarl. His fingers twitch toward his sword’s handle, and Jeremy watches him with narrow eyes.

“That’s enough,” Geoff interrupts, spreading his arms and stepping between them. “This isn't a good time to fight, we need to get going before any of their reinforcements show up.”

Mogar nods unhappily. Jeremy takes a hurried step backwards, more than happy to get away from the man who would snap his neck without a second thought right now. Especially since he is essentially unarmed now. Again.

The group is plunged into an uneasy silence for the next few minutes it takes for Jack to finish taking care of Gavin and then they’re on the road again. Mogar keeps to the back of the pack, sullenly glowering at Jeremy. It makes him twitchy, his eyes darting around.

“Jeremy, stay with Ryan,” Geoff orders, obviously noticing and Jeremy grimaces. So much for future escape attempts.

He wonders, as they walk on in stiff silence, why it’s so important for the Hunters to take him with. If he found a stranger in a tower with a dead man, at most he’d make sure the guy was alright before sending him on his way. Not Matt though - he’d insist to help the poor soul to somewhere safe at least.

He hasn’t asked the Hunters for help though, and they are oddly insistent to escort him to that city of theirs.

He has a bad feeling about this.

 

* * *

 

“It’s probability, not magic,” Ryan protests loudly, joined by Mogar’s cries of outrage. Jeremy keeps his head down, trying not to turn attention back to himself. It has been a tense journey since he tried to flee three days ago, and one of the Hunters always walks by his side. He’s as good a prisoner as he was before, even if he’s not tied up. Jack, his guard for the last hour or so, snorts at his side. He’s obviously heard this argument before.

"Okay, but say, what if it _is_ magic. The coin-” Gavin postulates, gesticulating wildly, only to be shouted down by his comrades.

“It’s not you idiot!” Mogar roars and raises his fist, and then Gavin is laughing, running to duck behind Ryan, Mogar chasing him in circles around the group furiously. “Stay still, you bitch!”

“Alright, assholes, shut the fuck up and listen!” Geoff shouts over the general din. The other Hunters quiet down quickly, and Jeremy looks on curiously. Their illustrious leader is walking backwards, arms spread in a grand gesture.

“We’re almost at our destination, so gird your loins, ladies and gentlemen, this path is not for cowards,” he announces, grinning madly. Jack coughs beside him with suppressed laughter, and Jeremy wonders if this is some kind of hazing ritual. Or punishment for his earlier actions, considering.

As Geoff keeps talking he doesn’t look back, a deep cliff opening up just a few feet behind him. Jeremy stares, wide-eyed, as the others cheer and object gleefully, but no one seems to notice the big-ass hole gaping open behind their leader. Jeremy jerks forward, hand stretching out in panic _because Geoff is going to fall the idiot-_

“Surprise, bitches!” Geoff crows and salutes them, taking another step back and tipping over the edge, back ramrod straight. “Later!”

Jack reels Jeremy in before he can stumble. Gavin on the other hand whoops, a sound that instantly reminds him of the cry of an eagle, as he sprints towards the hole and dives after the mustached man. Jack laughs next to him, letting go of his shoulder and running after them.

“Leap of Faaaaaith,” he shouts and jumps. Jeremy can just stare, dumbfounded, as one after the other they go over the edge. Like lemmings. Ryan and Michael chuckle behind him. Crazy, the lot of them.

“You gonna jump, or what?” Michael prods, stepping up behind him. Jeremy vehemently shakes his head and spins around to face the bear-man apprehensively.

“Yeah, no, thank you.”

“Not a question,” Michael grins wildly and pushes him toward the hole. With a scream, Jeremy stumbles straight over the edge. Ryan’s evil cackles grow fainter, the wind buffeting past him and stealing any sounds but the constant whoosh of air passing. His stomach drops, and he flails in mid-fall to turn around, to at least see what is happening. The ground is approaching fast, and it’s at least a mile long drop, he guesses.

Looks like he will die here after all. For a split second he wonders what Matt would think of dying like this, nothing but a splash of blood down some deep hole. Matt. It _can’t_ end like this, he still has to find Matt-

There has to be a way out of this-

Magic tingles at the edge of his awareness, his fall slowing down gradually. Confused, Jeremy blinks, stretching his senses to figure out what is happening. _Featherfall spell_ , he recognizes with some chagrin. He should have realized earlier - no matter how crazy these fuckers are, they wouldn’t just commit suicide like this. Better yet, _he_ should have cast the spell on himself the moment Mogar threw him over.

Curiously, he tugs at the strings of magic - old, cast and recast by multiple hands over the years. An entire net spun like a spiderweb a good fifty feet above the ground. It catches him gently in its grasp, and he floats like a feather or a leave on the wind, spiraling slowly downwards. Beneath him he can make out Gavin climbing on Geoff like a monkey, shouting excitedly.

He lands moments later, and lets out a gasp. “You crazy motherfuckers,” he whispers breathlessly, and Ryan claps a hand on his shoulder as he lands with a soft thud behind him, still cackling.

“Maybe, but at least we’re in good company,” he says, and then laughs when Jeremy gives him a skeptical glare.

“It was awesome! Let’s do it again!” Gavin crows, jumping up on Michael’s back. Michael grunts, grabbing Gavin’s legs and holding them still, pressed against his sides. Jeremy eyes them warily.

“Alright, assholes, let’s go see Felix!” Geoff yells, and in a chaotic mess they follow behind.

* * *

“Well,” Mariel greets them, from where she lets them into the small building that’s stationed right outside Felix’s tunnel. “Achievement Hunters, welcome.”

She gives Jeremy a long, considering look, but keeps her peace, and for that Geoff is more than grateful. The Felix is the head of this outpost, named after the original builder of the golden tunnels. The system is rumoured to connect all the major intelligence outposts throughout the continent. They’re an important part of the intelligence network, and he’d understand if they’d been denied entry for bringing an outsider to a secure location.

“Felix,” Geoff replies, bowing his head in acknowledgement, “Congratulations on your promotion.”

Mariel accepts them gracefully. “Geoffrey. You and your companions are, as always, welcome to stay with us. How fares your mission?”

“We’re ready to report in, but first things first. Hey, Gavin.” Geoff calls, turning to the blond. “Check in with the quartermaster so we can stay the night. And go see if you can’t find Jeremy some clothes that aren’t ripped and filthy as dicks while you’re at it.”

Gavin nods, beckoning Jeremy to follow him to another building off to the side. The other man hesitates, shooting Geoff and Mariel a thoughtful look, before complying.

“Sure thing, Geoff. Come on, Jeremy, we can go see Turney! She’s the best with a needle...”

His voice trails off as they leave. With a determined nod to Geoff, Mogar stalks after them to keep an eye on their prisoner. Mariel raises an inquiring brow, but leads the rest of them inside. The heavy wooden door slams shut behind them.

“Who’s the new kid?” Mariel asks as soon as it does, motioning for them to take a seat around the conference table. The small house consists of the main offices for their organisation, and Tyler is leaning in the door leading further in.

“We were hoping you could tell us that, Felix,” Jack admits, as Geoff runs a hand over his face. Ryan crosses his arms, watching silently from where he’s holding up the wall. None of them take her up on her offer to sit. “We found him at that tower we were send to go check out. Says his name is Jeremy, but he hasn’t given us much more information.”

Mariel nods. “Did he say what he was doing in that tower?”

“He hasn’t said. According to him, he doesn’t even know how he got there in the first place,” Geoff explains, “Kid mostly just seems confused as all hell.”

Mariel leans forward in her seat, as her sharp eyes take them both in. “You're worried that there is a reason he was in that tower.”

Jack nods, and Mariel sighs. “It'll be hard to find anything on him, with so little to go on. Come sit and share your observations with me. We’ll also need a report on the mission itself.”

Ryan stirs from his place, glancing at Tyler. “We need to contact Lindsay as well. In the interest of time, I suggest we split our efforts.”

“Very well,” Mariel nods, and Tyler beckons Ryan to follow him. She watches as they leave through a backdoor, heading deeper into the tunnel towards the archives and communication center. “Alright, let’s start with the simple things. You said his name is Jeremy?”

“Yes,” Jack agrees, folding his hands and leaning forward, “he keeps mentioning a traveling companion by the name of Matt, though we found no trace of him…”

It takes them the better half of an hour to relay everything they have learned on their short journey, about Jeremy and the tower both, though sadly the bits of information don’t amount to much. Mariel frowns thoughtfully, waving them away.

“I will see what I can find out about our mystery guest, though I’m afraid it won’t be much without more of an idea what to look for. Word will be sent to the other stations to keep an eye out. For now the tower seems harmless, but the timing is still most unusual… this does not bode well.”

“I quite agree,” Geoff grumbles, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “Too many coincidences. We’ll see what Lindsay has to say, but I’d like to take Jeremy with us to the capital, just in case it turns out he knows something.”

“Between the random attacks, the Queen’s vision and then this,” Mariel trails off, shaking her head. “I can’t quite see the connection. We’re missing major pieces of the puzzle.”

“The Queen had a vision?” Jack queries, sitting up straighter. “This is the first we hear of this.”

Mariel hesitates, glancing around. “You should go see her when you’re in the capital,” she murmurs, leaning forward. “Walls have ears, and this is not something that should be spread around carelessly. But yes, and it doesn’t sound good.”

With that, she stands abruptly, gathering her notes. “I’ll let you know what I find or leave word with Lindsay.”

Geoff and Jack stand as well, bowing. “May luck turn your path to gold, Felix.”

Mariel grins, nodding in acknowledgement of the traditional goodbye. “And may you find light at the end of the tunnels, Hunters.”

* * *

Jack is quiet as they walk down the tunnel towards the guest quarters. Technically they qualify for staff, since they are currently working for the organization, but it would be stupid to let an unknown that close to the heart of even an outpost, and Geoff isn’t ready to let Jeremy run around without supervision. Gavin knows it, too, and would have organized their sleeping arrangements accordingly.

But Jack hasn’t said a word since their meeting with Mariel. Geoff has noticed his pauses when relaying their adventures since setting out for the tower, and for all that the Felix hasn’t asked he’s sure she noticed, too. No, Geoff knows his companion, and Jack is one of his oldest friends. Something is up.

“Something on your mind?” Geoff finally breaks the silence, eyeing the other man shrewdly. Jack sighs deeply as they enter the room they’ll be sharing for the night.

“There is, and I’ve been waiting to catch a word with you in private,” Jack agrees easily, “I’m not sure what it means, or if it means anything at all, but… I can’t get it off my mind.”

Geoff flops down on a chair, unbuckling his boots. They should hit the baths while they’re here, he thinks, who knows when they’ll have another opportunity to get rid of all this dirt? He looks up when Jack’s pause stretches. His friend is staring off into the distance, expression troubled. Straightening, he kicks off his boots.

“What is it?” he asks worriedly, brow furrowing. “Jack, you know you can tell me.”

“It’s just something the old man said. You know how he was muttering under his breath when we walked in?” Jack shakes his head, wrapping his arms around himself. Geoff nods carefully.

“I was too far to catch any of it,” he admits solemnly, gazing at his friend. “What did you hear?”

“I didn’t catch much either. Something about a ‘fated arrival’? It rhymed, too,” Jack frowns, tapping his finger against his elbow. “I can’t quite get the wording, but he basically said that our arrival was foretold and that our destiny was about to begin. Something about a challenge- about trust and a kiss?”

Geoff snorts. “Not much to go on, huh? Sounds like a bunch of bullshit if you ask me,” he replies dismissively, shrugging. He tugs off his gauntlets and drops them on the desk. “What’s troubling you, really?”

“No, I suppose not,” Jack murmurs, shivering. “But Geoff, it’s the last thing he said that worries me. It went along the lines of ‘...but if they fail/ With curse unbroken, darkness shall prevail.’”

“Well, doesn’t that sound ominous,” Geoff huffs, grimacing. Jack shoots him a look. “What? We can do dicks about it anyways.”

“I don’t like it, Geoff,” Jack snaps, starting to pace. “The coincidences are stacking up, and now the Queen has had a vision? This isn’t random.”

“I don’t believe in fate, you know that, Jack,” Geoff scoffs, pulling his chestplate off. Jack shoots him a glare, but his expression looks resigned more than bothered. Not in the mood to argue superstition and higher powers again, he goes to grab another set of clothes. “I’m going to the baths. You coming, Jack?”

“I’ll wait for Ryan,” Jack declines. Geoff shrugs.

“Your loss.”

* * *

Ryan sighs. Figures. Of course Gavin sticks him with guard duty - leaving the sleeping arrangements to him, it _is_ a given. It’s not a bad choice, he has to admit. He’s the first to acknowledge his raging insomnia and paranoia, and both make him a good candidate for prisoner watch. And leaving Jeremy and Michael alone for a night is bound to end in disaster.

He wonders if banging Gavin would help with those anger management issues. Those two have been dancing around each other ever since Ray- 

Well.

His talk with Lindsay didn’t shed much light on the situation either, and Jack mentioned there were more bad news at the capital for them. He only saw the other man in passing, wanting solitude after the long journey. He’d snooped in the archives for the rest of the day, but to no avail. He couldn’t find any record of a Jeremy or a Matt of relevance for the last couple decades.

Then again, the archives are huge. Maybe Tyler will have more luck by the time they reach the capital.

He didn’t necessarily tell anyone about the coded letter, yet. However, he let the implication of potentially needing a specialized codebreaker upon their arrival in Achievement City speak for itself. For the most part because he doesn’t trust anyone, not really, but if he’s being honest with himself… he wants to have another crack at it first. He’s always been good at riddles, and this one frustrates him for its ability to elude him.

The archives weren’t much help here, either. It appears to be an older code that has last seen use in the Great War.

The door opens with a squeak, and Jeremy darts inside, shutting the door more forcefully than necessary. He twists around, his head meeting the wood with a muted _thunk_ as he presses his ear to the crack, shoulders hunched. It's a long moment of Ryan staring at him, dumbfounded, before Jeremy lets out a long sigh of relief slumping forward. 

“Hi,” Ryan says, smile tugging at his lips as Jeremy lets out an inhuman screech. “I assume Gavin forgot to tell you that you were rooming with me?”

“You could say that!” Jeremy exclaims, whirling around to face him, one hand clutching his chest. He mutters something under his breath that sounds rather like ‘sneaky bastard’, amusingly enough. 

Meg has dressed him up nicely. Now instead of the sturdy but worn clothing, he’s dressed in a ruffled white shirt and brown leather trousers. Ashley has gotten her hands on him, too, it seems. His hair is shorn close to the head, and when he raises his head to give Ryan a scathing glare, he notices that all but a small portion of his beard is gone as well.

He looks… young. Younger than Ryan has initially thought, no older than his early twenties if that. Maybe a couple years younger than Michael, even.

“So,” Jeremy says, after another noticeable pause. His gaze flicks around the room, before settling on Ryan again. “You and me are gonna be roommates for the night?” 

“It would seem so, indeed,” Ryan replies evenly, inclining his head. 

“What is this place anyway?” Jeremy asks, tapping one of the stonewalls. While the outside has been done in resplendent gold, these are ‘simply’ made of marble. “Fancy stuff.”

Ryan cocks a brow, tilting his head. After a moment he snorts.

“You have really no idea, do you?” he asks, his voice full of disbelief. “What, did you live under a rock?” 

“If you remember, you guys found me in that weird tower,” Jeremy growls, glowering at the rogue. “I still have no clue _where_ we are.”

Ryan gives him a long, hard look, and Jeremy stares back evenly. He doesn’t appear to be lying, Ryan decides after a moment. His young face makes him look innocent, and Ryan can’t quite bring himself to believe that. Not after the circumstances they found him in, not after his escape attempt during their last fight. Young and inexperienced, certainly. Innocent? Yeah, no.

“This place is called Felix Baumgarten, after its original founder. The title is passed down to the leader of the organisation,” Ryan explains hesitantly, watching Jeremy’s face keenly. There’s no sign of recognition or deceit, his expression staying mildly dubious and fascinated in equal measures.

“He was a rich noble living a century ago. It was built during the Great War,” he continues after an encouraging nod.

“The what now?” Jeremy asks, startled. He settles himself on the opposite bed.

Ryan sighs, resigning himself to an uneducated audience. At least he’s interested, that’s more than he’s used to.

“The one that ended a good eighty years ago. There was a huge civil unrest at the turn of the century. You see, the line of succession was unclear, and public opinion was split on who was to take the throne after the previous king’s demise. The king’s only eligible child was a woman, and back then women weren’t allowed to inherit titles with political power. However, the king had also been a well-known adulterer, with several bastard children. So the eldest of his sons gathered the rest with promises of power and riches, and led a revolt against their sister. 

In the end, the princess managed to resolve the conflict in her favour, and thus began a new age. It’s why we a have a Queen these days.”

“Wow. I hadn’t picked you for a historian,” Jeremy says, sounding delighted. His entire face slowly lights up during Ryan’s monologue, watching him attentively. Ryan can feel his cheeks grow hot.

“Well that's only what's in the official records, of course,” Ryan adds, feeling strangely off balance. 

“So, what did they leave out of the records?” Jeremy asks curiously. Ryan cuts him a suspicious look, and he throws up his hands in surrender. “Look, I just assumed you know what you’re talking about after all… that."

“I do,” Ryan says succinctly, still giving Jeremy the evil eye. “Why do you care? What do you know?” 

“I thought we'd already established that _I_ know nothing,” Jeremy protests, rolling his eyes. 

Ryan hums, unconvinced. “Well. It’s nothing for you to worry about. It happened several decades ago, after all. Before your grandmother was probably even thought of.”

“Well, yeah,” Jeremy shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant. Ryan’s eyes narrow. Why the sudden interest? He’s suddenly, drastically reminded that he’s talking to a potential enemy here, and Jeremy is obviously hiding a secret.

The question remains, what is it and is it a danger to them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy just keeps falling deeper and deeper xD


	4. My Soul Is A Steak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on:  
> * The Hunters found Jeremy and a dead, old man in a tower near Portal House  
> * Jeremy is missing his partner/friend, Matt  
> * Ryan found a coded letter adressed to Jeremy  
> * They stumbled across bandits and Jeremy tried to flee  
> * They made it to Felix Baumgartner, a large underground tunnel system guarded by an allied organization  
> * Mariel is the head of this organization and is called The Felix  
> * A lot of trouble is brewing, Jeremy might be involved, and Ryan taught Jeremy some history

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's title is brought to you by Missy flubbing "my soul is at stake" instead of an AH quote

_Jeremy isn't sure why Matt is mad at him but it must be for a good reason._

_"Hey," he says as he stares at the back of Matt's head. "Listen, just talk to me okay?"_

_Silence. Jeremy sighs as he reaches out to grab Matt's shoulder._

_"Hey, just tell me what I did wrong okay-"_

_Matt crumbles under his touch, turns into dust, and Jeremy watches as the dust slowly and very gently starts to twirl around him. It's not a surprise for some reason when the dust forms itself into a woman._

_"Hello," the dust woman says with a sly smile, and Jeremy is trying to figure out who exactly she is. He knows he's seen her before._

_"You have kept me waiting a very long time," she purrs as she reaches out._

_Jeremy flinches back. Some instinctual part of him knows that he shouldn't let her touch him._ Don’t _, Matt’s voice whispers through Jeremy’s mind. A look of hatred flashes over the woman’s face before it’s replaced with a kind smile._

_"Now, now,"  she croons, beckoning him closer with a finger. "Don't be afraid. Come here."_

_The world shakes, suddenly, and she stumbles before cursing and reaching for him again._

_"Come on," a different voice calls out. "Wake up!"_

“Ow, fuck,” Jeremy hears when he manages to shake off the residual fear. “Goddamn.”

The next thing he realizes is that he’s in a corner of an unfamiliar room. He looks around wildly, heart beating fast in his chest. His eyes settle on a dark figure by one of the beds, the dim light of the torch throwing him in stark contrast. The man has a hand clasped over his face, and Jeremy squints, his mind slowly waking up.

Ryan.

The maybe-not-a-rogue-after-all of the Hunters.

Ryan is still standing by the bed Jeremy has slept in. There’s blood leaking through his fingers, and it’s only then that Jeremy manages to piece things together. He realizes in slight horror that he must have punched him, maybe even broken his nose.

“Oh gods,” Jeremy says, scrambling up and moving forward to help him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” Ryan replies, surprisingly soft as he stares at Jeremy. “I should’ve known better than to try and wake you in the throes of a nightmare.”

“Well, at least let me fix it,” Jeremy says evasively, not wanting to ponder his weird dream at all. Ryan gives him an odd look.

Jeremy doesn’t give him a chance to refuse as he leans up and grabs Ryan’s face in his hands.

“It might feel a little weird,” Jeremy warns before closing his eyes. “Though a mean punch he throws, when remorse he shows, it heals the nose.”

The energies leave his fingertips tingling, but when Jeremy opens his eyes, the blood has dried and the bone righted itself. Smiling sheepishly, he shakes out his hands, looking up to catch Ryan’s narrowed eyes.

“That was… healing magic,” Ryan starts slowly, thoughtfully. Jeremy grimaces.

“Not my best chant, I admit. Couldn’t think of a less… ridiculous rhyme. A bit out of practice, you know.” Jeremy shrugs helplessly.

“I do, actually,” Ryan agrees, cocking his head to the side. “So. You know magic.”

“Some,” Jeremy evades, lifting a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. Then he blinks, tilting his head to match Ryan. “You’re familiar with healing spells?”

“Sadly, no. My… focus has always been on other specializations,” Ryan admits, hand rubbing absently at his chest. “A healer could come in handy, though. You might want to mention it to Geoff,” he suggests, giving Jeremy a pointed look.

“Oh no,” Jeremy says. “I’m not really a healer, per say. Just- my friend taught me this and that.”

“Matt,” Ryan concludes carefully, watching him closely. Jeremy forces his face to remain blank.

“Maybe,” he says, looking around the room. The lack of windows makes it hard to guess at the time, but Jeremy assumes it’s past dawn by now. Besides, he’s desperate to change the topic. “So. Any chance of catching breakfast before we move on?”

Ryan gives him one last considering glance before gracefully conceding, “Probably,” he says, “Let’s go see if the others are awake yet.”

“Yeah,” Jeremy agrees, readily. “But, uh, first you might wanna wash the blood off your face?”

Ryan lifts a hand to his face, looking surprised to find the dry blood there. Then he shrugs and gives him a teasing look.

“I don’t know,” Ryan says with a rare trace of humor. “It adds character.”

Jeremy snorts in surprise. “Asshole,” he laughs, shaking his head. Then he wrinkles his nose, dragging a hand through his super short hair. “I think I’d like a wash, too, as long as we have facilities nearby. Gavin said something about lavish baths?”

“He would,” Ryan huffs, beckoning Jeremy to follow him. “Come on, let’s clean up and then find the others.”

“And food,” Jeremy adds, nodding seriously. Ryan sighs, ducking his head to hide a grin.

“And food,” he agrees.

 

* * *

 

Jeremy follows Ryan through the maze of hallways, trying to keep track of which turns they take. He’s half certain Ryan is messing with him by taking extra detours. He doesn’t say anything, though, because for once he’s clean and there is a promise of food.

His stomach rumbles, but Jeremy doesn’t blush. He knows what it means to go hungry, and the Hunters, whatever else they do, have been gracious in sharing their rations. He wonders if Matt is alright, if he has food. Normally Jeremy would be the one to ask townspeople for help, definitely the more charming one of the two of them. He wills the nausea at the thought away. Matt always trusts the gods to provide for him, it’s time Jeremy has some faith as well.

The others have already gathered in the kitchen when Jeremy and Ryan enter, but that’s not what catches his attention.

There’s more food on this table than Jeremy’s seen in his entire life. Even when he and Matt had snuck into a fancy hotel and managed to get a meal, it had consisted of less than half of this feast. Fine meats and fish, goblets full of wine, plates stacked high with fruit and vegetables. Fresh bread that is still warm to the touch, with various cheeses to choose from. His mouth is watering from the smell alone.

“You should probably eat instead of just staring at it,” Jack advises with a teasing grin.  Jeremy ducks his head in embarrassment as he sits down before copying the others and filling his plate. Jeremy listens to the conversation as he slips little pieces of meat and a few vegetables into his pockets and satchel with practiced ease.

“We’ll probably make it to the capital in another three days,” Geoff says, crumbs exploding from his mouth.

“Not if we have to take another detour,” Michael grumbles into his chicken leg, tearing the flesh off with his teeth as he glowers darkly in Jeremy’s direction. Jeremy wrinkles his nose at him, too busy chewing to answer.

“Hasn’t anyone taught you table manners, Jeremy?” Gavin exclaims, staring in fascination as he gorges down on his food. Jeremy glances at him, uncertain, as he forces himself to slow down.

“It’s good food,” Jeremy defends when he finally manages to swallow the big bite he’s taken. “Nobody’s getting on Geoff’s case!”

The rest of the table turns as one to look where Geoff’s exaggeratedly chewing with his mouth open. Jack’s eyes narrow nearly imperceptibly.

“Well, he’s Geoffrey. He’s doing it on purpose to gross us out,” Gavin reasons, shrugging languidly.

“Yeah, well, and I’m Jeremy!” Jeremy retorts. “And it’s none of your business.”

Gavin blinks, apparently surprised by the ferocity of the response. He opens his mouth, but shuts it immediately as a woman enters the kitchen and clears her throat.

“If you’re done,” the Felix drawls, dropping down at the table next to Geoff. She grimaces at him, but Geoff only arches his eyebrow challengingly. “There is still one matter left to discuss before Tyler will lead you to the tunnels. You are still familiar with the way towards the city, I hope?”

Ryan shrugs. “I still have the map from last time, in case we get lost. We’ll figure it out.”

“...Right.” The Felix shakes her head. “Back on topic: I have a delivery for Lindsay that I cannot entrust a regular messenger. Since you’re headed her way, would you mind dropping this off?”

She holds up a bundle of letters, bound together by twine.

“We have to report in anyway, so sure. Why not,” Geoff agrees with a shrug, waving her off when she holds the stack of letter out to him. With an annoyed noise, Jack leans forward to take them from her, putting them in his own backpack. The Felix nods, glancing over the table, her eyes lingering on Ryan for a barely noticeable moment.

“Good luck, Hunters. Godspeed.”

And with that, she stands up and leaves as abruptly as she has entered.

“Well then!” Gavin says with slightly forced cheer. “We better be off soon.”

“Indeed,” Jack agrees seriously, brushing the crumbs out of his beard. “Everyone got their rations packed? The less time we have to spend on hunting down food, the faster we’ll travel.”

“Rations?” Jeremy chimes in, taken aback. Everyone turns to look at him, causing him to flush a deep red. “I mean, uh…”

Jack’s expression softens. “Don’t worry, we have a package for you, too. Are you good to carry it in your bag?”

“Is that wise?” Michael growls, giving Jeremy the stinkeye. “If he has his own food, what stops him from running away? _Again._ ”

“I imagine that if you’re as good a warrior as you say then you’d be able to stop me,” Jeremy snarks, non-plussed. Michael bares his teeth.

“Oh, believe me, I _will_ stop you,” he starts aggressively, but a sharp whistle interrupts the brewing fight.

“Alright, children, settle down!” Geoff yells, giving both of them a disappointed look. “Save it for later. Tyler, you ready?”

“We’re good to go,” Tyler replies in a deep voice that kind of surprises Jeremy. He blinks, staring at the man. “I’ll leave you by the first fork. Don’t get lost, assholes.”

“Of course not!” Gavin snickers. “This time, we actually have a compass!”

“Gods help us,” Jack mutters, and Jeremy gives him a wide-eyed look, before glancing at the others. Michael- excuse me, _Mogar_ \- looks his usual grumpy self, Geoff looks like he didn’t sleep well, and Ryan is nervously checking if he’s packed the correct map.

What the fuck has he gotten himself into?

 

* * *

 

The tunnels are dark. Jeremy’s not really sure what else he expected of an underground network, but the lanterns on the walls are growing sparser the further in they go. He’s not exactly afraid of the dark, but the dread creeps in anyway.

“This is where I leave you,” Tyler intones deeply, brandishing his torch to illuminate the fork in the path. “Your way is to the right. Good luck.”

He hands his torch over to Jeremy who grasps at it gratefully, even as he has the sneaking suspicion that Tyler chose him to bear the light to keep his hands occupied and well out of reach of a knife. Well. It’s not like he needs a weapon in a fight when words can suffice.

Tyler clasps Geoff’s shoulder before turning to Ryan, giving him an inscrutable look.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he orders softly, his deep voice resonating in the dark tunnels.

“I won’t,” Ryan replies stiffly, holding Tyler’s eyes for a long moment before Tyler nods and walks back without another word.

“Alright, bitches, let’s get a move on,” Geoff exclaims, ushering them to the right tunnel. “Faster we’re out of these, the better.”

They walk for what seems like forever in oppressive silence before Ryan finally decides to break it.

“So apparently Jeremy knows healing magic,” he says, turning to glance at Jeremy over his shoulder from where he’s leading their group through the tunnels. Jeremy shoots him a dark look, feeling a little betrayed, but Ryan just shrugs unapologetically.

“You weren't gonna tell them,” he points out flatly. Jeremy rolls his eyes.

“You do magic?” Gavin asks, “Like a cleric?”

“I can do some magic, yeah,” Jeremy admits. “But I'm not a cleric. Never had enough faith in the gods.”

“Then what are you?” Mogar growls, and Jeremy has to fight back a sarcastic joke.

“My magic works mostly with rhymes,” Jeremy says, “No idea what's its called. It kinda just...happens.”

Mogar narrows his eyes, taking a couple quick steps to close the distance between them. Jeremy shifts to face him, eyeing him uneasily. Mogar bares his teeth in a facsimile of a smile.

“So what can you do?” he asks darkly. Jeremy shivers, but straightens his back as he glares back at the bear-man.

“Oh, you know, this and that,” he replies lightly, opening his eyes wide in faux innocence. “Bits and pieces I picked up here and there.”

Mogar gnashes his teeth, but Jack drops back to them and grabs his shoulder, shaking his head.

“Leave it, Michael,” he murmurs under his breath. Jeremy can still hear him fine, though. He chooses to ignore it when Mogar slows his steps to take the rear again.

“So! Magic,” Gavin exclaims brightly, throwing an arm over Jeremy’s shoulders. Jeremy can feel Mogar glowering at them. “I know some spells and stuff, but I’ve never really been good at healing. It’ll be good to have someone around who knows this stuff.”

“I don’t really-” Jeremy starts, but Gavin simply continues on.

“Oh, I know! You could teach me some, how does that sound?”

Gavin turns his shiny smile on him, and Jeremy blinks. His entire face seems to glow, and Jeremy can’t shake the feeling that he’s being duped. Like the world is brighter with Gavin touching him, and he wants to say yes so badly. Still-

“I only know some healing words,” he protests, ducking away from Gavin’s arm and carefully puts some distance between them. The other’s magic slides off his skin like water off a duck’s back. “And I can cure minor wounds. It’s not much, really.”

Gavin’s smile drops into a pout, and Jeremy’s not sure if it’s adorable or if that’s the last lingering strings of magical charm talking.

“That’s useful though, Jeremy,” Geoff interrupts. The light of the torch bounces off his iron chainmail as he falls into step beside him.  “Why didn’t you say so before?”

“It never came up?” Jeremy says, scrunching up his nose. “It’s not like you’ve all listed your skills to me. I’ve known you less than a week, and it’s not like it’ll matter once we hit the city and you get rid of me.”

“No,” Geoff says sounding… odd. “I guess it won’t.”

The group falls back into silence.

 

* * *

 

“Gods forsaken piece of shit,” Ryan grumbles, and Jack looks up from where he’s stirring the coals of the campfire.

The tunnels are dark, and it’s hard to judge the passage of time outside of their own exhaustion. They’ve finally agreed to settle after the third time Geoff nearly crashed into a wall, and Gavin stumbled over his own feet every couple steps. Everyone is sleeping by now, Michael towards the back of the group, Gavin nervously inching closer to him every other minute. Jeremy’s lying between him and Ryan curiously enough, while Geoff chose the wall far away from the fire. Not that Jack cares what Geoff does or not.

His fingers clench around the wooden stick.

“What is it?” he whispers, trying to take his mind off things.

Ryan glances up from where he’s sitting cross-legged on his blankets, the torch slid into a bracket on the wall. It throws his face into shadows, and a shiver runs down Jack’s spine. He shakes himself. He trusts Ryan, the man has proven himself thrice over to Jack alone, and saved their lives too many times to count.

“I’ve got… this letter,” Ryan explains hesitantly, lifting the piece of parchment up so Jack can see it. He can’t make out the writing from this far. “It’s in code. I couldn’t find the key in Felix’ Library, and I can’t seem to figure it out for myself.”

“I’m good at riddles,” Jack mentions offhandedly, standing up and ambling over to Ryan. He shoots the other man a questioning look, gesturing towards the scroll. Ryan nods his permission, and Jack drops down next to him, leaning over Ryan’s shoulder to read the letter.

Or well. Try to puzzle it out with him.

 _Jeremy,_ it starts, followed by a bunch of jumbled letters and symbols Jack feels are oddly familiar. He skims the letter to the bottom, but only the last word makes sense again. _Matt_. Jack looks up sharply, catching Ryan’s piercing blue eyes.

“That is-” he hisses, before stopping himself.

“Something I found,” Ryan says casually, but his face remains serious. _In the tower_ , he doesn’t have to say. He rolls up the letter, carefully piecing together the wax seal. “Do you recognize this sigil? I feel like I should know, like it’s on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t _place it_.”

He sounds frustrated, and Jack gently bumps their shoulder together even as his mind whirrs. This is a clue about Jeremy’s past, he’s sure of it.

“I’ve seen it before,” Jack says slowly, brow furrowing. The smell of old books and late winter nights spent at the library. “It’s something religious, I think. One of the Forgotten Ones, maybe? Their priesthoods are small and underground, it’s not common to come across one.” He pauses, biting his lip. “The royal library should have a couple books on them, I can ask when we go meet with Tina.”

Ryan nods, staring at the rolled up scroll. He exhales slowly before catching Jack’s gaze.

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” he demands darkly, and Jack feels his hackles rise.

“Don’t you think he deserves to know-” he starts, but Ryan shushes him with a quick glance towards Jeremy.

“If he proves himself trustworthy, I’ll give it to him. He’ll probably be able to decipher the code,” Ryan states, nose scrunching up. “But we can’t know he won’t just run again, and this seems important. Until we know more-”

“I know, I know,” Jack says with a sigh, hunching in on himself. The guilt is already settling heavy in his stomach. “For the record, though, I don’t like it.”

“Noted,” Ryan replies shortly, tucking the letter safely away. He stares off into the darkness for a tense moment, before his shoulders slump with a sigh. He turns to look at Jack with dark, knowing eyes. “I understand. But we can’t risk it.”

“I know,” Jack whispers softly, turning his face away and biting his lips. An arm wraps around his shoulders, and he looks up, startled.

“Jack,” Ryan murmurs, squeezing his shoulders gently. “I’m sorry.”

With a sigh, Jack leans in, bumping their foreheads together and closing his eyes.

“I know.”

Jeremy keeps on gently snoring next to them, and they turn in unison to watch him thoughtfully.

“I know,” Ryan echoes softly, and Jack leans his head on his shoulder tiredly. His body is aching from the day long march, and his mind is exhausted from staying mad at Geoff all day. Ryan is a warm, firm weight against his side, and Jack lets his eyes fall closed again.

  
He doesn’t even notice as he drifts off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait! Both authors have been super busy, but we're trying to get back on track :)


	5. If the Sun is North, West is to the Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #ShutUpAboutTheSmeggingCompass
> 
> The Hunters make their way through the tunnels and tension is rising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments and feedback <3 we wouldn't be here without you guys.

Of course, they are fucking lost.

Up ahead, Gavin and Ryan are sticking their heads together, going over the map of the tunnels and arguing which path they’ve taken so far and how to go on. Jeremy is standing close to them, holding up the torch so they have light to see by. Even further ahead Geoff is shaking the old compass, cursing under his breath.

Great.

Michael takes a deep breath and counts to ten. Fuck it.

“What about you?” he snaps, stepping up next to Jack. “What, not got an opinion on where we should head next to get more lost?”

“Oh, you know,” Jack answers drolly, shooting Michael a grin. “I figured I’d let them be idiots for a while longer so they get it out of their system.”

Michael snorts, amused against his will. “They’re always idiots, Jack. It’s in their blood.”

“Well,” the bigger man replies, cocking his head. “You could always tell them about the marks you carved into the walls last time, you know.”

“And what, miss the show?” Michael drawls, bumping their shoulder together. Jack laughs. “What about you, I thought you had this supernatural sense of direction?”

“I mean, I could lead us out of here,” Jack says slowly, giving Michael a pointed look. “You know. If they asked.”

Michael huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “Idiots,” he says fondly.

“Idiots,” Jack repeats, snickering.

They lapse back into a comfortable silence as they keep watching.

“Why don't you-” Jeremy starts to say.

“Shut up, Little J,” Gavin says absent-mindedly.

“What did you just call me?” Jeremy asks incredulously. Michael moves to get off the wall but Jack grabs his arm and shake his head.

“Little J?” Gavin says, blinking owlishly in the light. “Because you are little and you are a J?”

Jeremy gapes at him, and Michael can see he isn't the only one ready to intervene. Geoff’s hand is on his sword, and Ryan is watching both of them carefully. Even Jack is standing tense by his side.

Jeremy laughs, a bright cheerful noise. “I'm not that short!” he protests, still laughing.

“Well you certainly aren't tall,” Geoff drawls, stepping across the tunnel to join them by the map.

Michael slowly relaxes, slumping back against the wall with a frown. Everyone seems to be getting along better with their new _friend_ but it’s good to know they’re all ready to fight if he makes a wrong move. Michael has been wondering. With how friendly they all acted, you’d think they already trusted the guy.

Especially after what Jeremy said about his words being magic.

Michael’s been tense every time he opened his mouth. He doesn’t trust the guy. Not one bit. Something’s off about him, something that raises all the hairs on the back of Michael’s neck and sets off his danger sense. He’d have guessed magic except neither of their spellcasters has so much as mentioned it. It put him at ill ease, regardless.

Nobody ever just ends up in a fucking tower of a powerful wizard or whatever because they saved 100 puppies from a burning orphanage. That's just not how it works.

“Are you and Gavin alright?” Jack probes gently, interrupting Michael’s line of thought. “You’ve been… more standoffish than usual, and Gavin keeps looking at you like a kicked puppy. Did something happen at Felix’?”

Michael huffs, kicking at the ground. Jack waits patiently as he stares down, shoulders up to his ears. Finally, Michael slumps against the wall with a sigh, looking up at Jack with troubled eyes.

“I dunno,” he admits quietly, glancing towards the rest of the group. His gaze lingers on Gavin’s blond hair, only recently cut a little shorter, but still covering the tip of his ears. “We were fooling around one moment, and the next he was acting all weird.”

Jack hums thoughtfully. “What happened in between? What were you talking about?”

“Just, you know, stuff. About what’d we do back in the city, how Meg’s been doing. Talked about our last visit here. Remember, when we got lost down here, and Ray kept constantly sneaking off into the darkness only to pop up and scare us?”

Jack’s lips quirk into a smile. “I remember, yeah,” he replies softly.

“So, yeah. I was teasing him about not getting us lost again and then-” Michael shrugs. “He got all quiet, you know how he gets sometimes. I asked what’s bothering him, but…”

Michael trails off, shrugging helplessly

“But he brushed you off,” Jack guesses with a wince.

“But he brushed me off,” Michael agrees with a sigh. “I got mad, we had a shouting match, and now he’s not speaking to me.”

“He wants to, though,” Jack points out, squeezing Michael’s shoulder. “He probably just thinks you’re still mad at him.”

“I am, a bit,” Michael confesses, leaning into Jack’s touch. “I thought we were past this bullshit. Thought we were better than that.”

“So go talk to him,” Jack says, shaking his shoulder a little. “No one ever said it would be easy. Prove to him that he can talk to you, and then give him time and space to figure it out.”

“Thanks, Jack.” Michael reaches up to lay his hand on Jack’s still resting on his shoulder. He turns his keen eyes on the other man. “You and Geoff gonna be okay?”

Jack sighs ruefully, letting his hand drop down.

“We’ll be fine. I’m about ready to forgive his dumb ass,” he says lightly with a crooked grin.

“Yeah?” Michael asks, a grin spreading over his face, too. “What did the asshole do this time?”

“He brushed off my concerns,” Jack explains, hunching in on himself. Michael shoots him a sharp look, straightening himself.

“What concerns?” he inquires seriously.

“I know it sounds silly but…” Jack breaks off, biting his lips. He stares off into the dark tunnel where they’ve come from. “There’s something weird going on. It’s just too many coincidences. And Geoff doesn’t like to think about destinies and prophecies, and yet- I don’t know. Something just feels…”

“Wrong?” Michael suggests with a strained smile. “Like you fell in a vat of molasses and the strings are peeling off very, very slowly?”

Jack looks at him weirdly. “Odd way to put it, but strangely apt.” He’s quiet for a moment. “To me it feels more like… sitting in the dark gardens after a nightmare and you rationally know the darkness holds no monsters, yet your mind can’t shake the feeling of impending doom.”

Michael hums thoughtfully, nodding slowly.

“Yeah, that works, too,” he agrees solemnly. His face darkens. “I don’t like it.”

Jack jostles him gently, catching his eyes.

“I’m just glad I’m not the only one to feel the dread,” he admits, ducking his head. When he lifts his head again, he looks determined. “Let’s get going, then. We let them be idiots for long enough, now.”

“Sure,” Michael agrees, straightening as he steps forward and walks past the others. “You assholes coming or not?” he calls back casually.

“But that’s not the way-” Ryan protests. Michael just laughs.

“C’mon, we don’t have all day!”

 

* * *

 

Jeremy isn’t sure if it’s just him, but the tunnels seem to be getting darker and darker the further down they go. The torch slowly casting less and less light despite being as bright as it was before. Jeremy bites his lower lip, raising it a little higher.

“Is there magic causing it to be so dark down here?” he finally asks Ryan.

“It’s not magic,” he replies before taking on a familiar lecturing tone. “The deeper tunnels are made out of obsidian, it absorbs magical light. These torches have an enhancement enchantment-” he stumbles over the word enchantment making Gavin let out a high pitched giggle,”-which is why it’s been getting dimmer. If you try to navigate these tunnels without a torch, then you’re more likely to get lost. It’s to make sure that any invaders trying to be sneaky will get turned around in the tunnels. Felix Baumgartner was a genius in trap architecture.”

Jeremy hums in agreement even as the knowledge sends a chill down his spine. It’d be terrifying to be down here by himself without a torch, nothing but pitch black and walls laced with traps to depend on. He scoots a little closer to Ryan, ignoring the other’s knowing look.

“When were they even built?” Jeremy asks, brows furrowed as his fingers trace the air an inch away from the stone. He doesn’t quite dare to touch it, in case he triggers one of the many traps.

“You don’t need to know,” Mogar growls, several steps behind him. Jeremy glances over his shoulder. The other man has been stalking after him the whole journey, voicing his distrust every so often, and frankly, it’s rubbing his nerves thin.

Jeremy’s temper finally reaches a breaking point.

“Oh I’m sorry,” he snaps, “I didn’t realize that harmless curiosity was such a fucking offense.”

“Because asking after the defenses of one of the major outposts is utterly innocent,” Mogar bites out, bristling. A large hand lands on his shoulder, stopping him in his track. He looks up, and Jack shakes his head slowly.

“You must admit, Jeremy, that these type of questions seem a little… suspicious,” Jack points out calmly, shooting him a small smile. “I understand the fascination, though. These tunnels are something else.”

“...they’re pretty,” Jeremy agrees cautiously, eyes flickering back to Mogar who just crosses his arms and glares. Jack is his complete opposite, face open and peaceful.

“Indeed! They’re a masterful example of architecture. Have you ever worked on a building project?”

“Can’t say I have,” Jeremy admits, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. He watches Jack’s face light up as he talks, somewhat charmed. “Have you?”

“Oh God, don’t get him started,” Geoff breaks in with a groan, just as Jack opens his mouth. The red-head swats at their leader.

“Don’t be an ass, _Geoffrey_ ,” he mocks, turning back to Jeremy with a grin. “I like building things. There’s a serenity in creation - especially for necessities, like housing.”

“I don’t know,” Gavin pipes up, scrunching his nose. “It’s kinda boring, innit? Like setting up camp.”

Ryan snorts. “You’d rather sleep in a tree, wouldn’t you?”

“Like you haven’t done that before!” Gavin squawks in protest, arms wheeling through the air.

“Because it was better to _hide_ , not because I’m some sort of tree-nymph-”

“Oy!”

 

* * *

 

The tunnel spits them out in the middle of a forest, trees growing high and thick. The sun throws dappled shadows on the well-worn path through the underbrush, birds singing peacefully. Jeremy feels himself relax, like the tension in the tunnels is left behind as they enter the open air. He inhales deeply, the smell of dry moss and tree bark. It probably hasn’t rained in a while.

The rest of the Hunters seem to unwind, too, their banter taking on a more light-hearted tone.

“We should take a break here,” Jack suggests, an hour after they’ve left the darkness of the tunnels behind. There’s a river passing by a small meadow, and Jack gestures at it. “It’s nearly noon, and we should refill our waterskins.”

“Who died and made you the leader?” Geoff squawks mock-offendedly, crossing his arms with a glower.

“Common sense, apparently,” Jack replies drily, looking up from where he’s rolling up his bedding. “Since none of you fuckers have any.”

“Well, _I_ don’t like your plan,” Geoff retorts crossly, lifting his chin high.

“What, because _you_ didn’t come up with it?” Jack teases, brushing the dust off his pants as he stands up. He gives Geoff a droll look. “Very mature, Geoffrey.”

“Well, fuck you, I’m still team leader so what I say counts,” Geoff snaps back, turning his back on Jack.

“Does that mean leadership is up to vote?” Ryan chimes up excitedly, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Because not to brag, but-”

Jeremy slowly inches away from the ensuing squabble, shaking his head with a fond smile. As much as his circumstances irk him, he can’t deny that the Hunters are slowly growing on him. _Like fungus_.

He finds a slow, winding path down to a little nook between two giant roots, dotted with purple avens and brooklime. The river trickles past melodically but the earth is dry and dusty. With a shrug, Jeremy pulls out his waterskin and kneels down next to the river to fill it up.

“Wandering off, Little J?” a familiar voice calls out cheerfully, and Jeremy suppresses a flinch. He looks over his shoulder to find Gavin sitting higher up on the roots of the tree. He waves, feeling a little sheepish.

“Don’t tell Mogar, he’d have my balls,” he quips, and Gavin’s expression darkens.

“Don’t worry, we’re not talking.” Gavin kicks his legs petulantly, frowning down at his lap. Jeremy sits up and watches him carefully.

“I thought you guys were pretty good friends?” he ventures, corking his waterskin. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Gavin shrug.

“Thought so, too,” he admits, looking desolate. “I thought- well, it doesn’t matter now, I guess.”

“Complicated, huh?” Jeremy stands up and walks over to the roots, patting Gavin’s shin. He can’t reach up much higher. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.” Gavin shifts, pulling his knees up to his chest. Jeremy stares up at him patiently, until his neck feels stiff and he needs to stretch. Finally, Gavin speaks up again, not looking at him. “But I probably should. It’s just… the others all already know, you know? No need to rub salt into fresh wounds.”

Jeremy hums agreeably and leans back against the giant root, staring out across the river.

“Michael is my boi. There was a time when I thought- well, I should probably start at the beginning.” Gavin sighs, shaking his head. “I’m not good at this,” he warns him.

“That’s okay,” Jeremy replies, trying to be encouraging. And admittedly, he’s a little curious. Gavin and Mogar seemed very attached to each other the first couple days.

“There used to be six of us,” Gavin continues slowly, and Jeremy nods even if he’s not sure Gavin is looking at him. “Six Hunters. Geoff gathered us in the beginning and- well, we became fast friends, all of us.”

Jeremy tries to imagine that. He pretty much hit it off with Matt, too, but that were special circumstances. To find a group to belong to, friendships that click immediately and only grow stronger…

“Ray and Michael were childhood friends, or something. They were sort of a package deal.” Gavin smiles mirthlessly. “Michael and I started off on the wrong foot, or so I thought, but he just rolled with it. We got pretty close, pretty quick. Ray… that took longer, but he’s a good guy. The three of us were pretty much inseparable. Team Lads.”

Jeremy tilted his head back to glance at Gavin at the melancholic tone of his voice. He’s reminded of Jack’s words at the campsite all those nights ago.

_You five seem pretty close._

_We are. We’ve been at this for a while now. We used to have a sixth, but. Well._

“I knew Michael had feelings for Ray. Has. I don’t know,” Gavin rambles on, the words like a dam breaking. “I always liked Michael, but I never thought anything would come from it. Ray said Michael liked me, too, but nothing ever happened. And I knew why, I knew Michael wasn’t- isn’t- over Ray. And that was fine.”

Jeremy feels his chest tighten, remembers those long nights of taking watch, but mostly watching Matt’s sleeping face.

“Except then I thought- I looked at Ray and thought, why not? He was my type, too, you know. I got why Michael was wild for him. The three of us could have worked out.” Gavin chokes, rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes. “But then Ray…”

_Gone. In the blink of an eye. One moment of waking and nothing left but ashes._

Jeremy swallows hard. _Like Matt._

“What about you?” Gavin asks in a blatant attempt to divert the conversation away from him. “You have a partner right?””

Jeremy stares at him for a long moment before deciding that it can’t possibly hurt to have somebody know more about Matt. Not when they’re his ticket to try and find him.

“Yeah,” Jeremy says, ignoring the way that Gavin’s eyebrows go up at his honesty. “Matt.”

“Matt,” Gavin echoes. He pauses. “How long have you and him been traveling together?”

“Six years,” Jeremy states with a touch of pride. It’s a long time for just two people to survive as adventurers and judging by the way Gavin’s eyebrows rise he finds it slightly impressive as well.

“Have you shagged him yet?” Gavin asks casually just as Jeremy raises his water bag to his lips and drinks. Jeremy does a spit take. Gavin laughs before letting out a high pitched squawk when the water gets on the bottom of his pants.

“You’re an asshole,” Jeremy splutters, his cheeks feel very warm.

Gavin’s smirk turns into a smaller smile of amusement. “I take that as a no then?”

“No,” Jeremy answers shortly, turning back to the river for a lack of better things to look at. “We haven’t really done much of...that.”

“How much have you done?” Gavin asks, and Jeremy tries to will away his blush before turning to look him right in the eyes.

“Probably not as much as you and Michael have,” he shoots back before letting out a triumphant laugh when Gavin splutters. “Not so nice when it’s directed at you huh?”

“It’s just a harmless question,” Gavin reasons after a second. “It’s like when you- what?”

“Wot?” Jeremy mocks and Gavin giggles.

A comfortable silence falls upon them as Gavin slips down to fill up his waterskin. Jeremy is content to sit and listen to the river and the sounds of the rest of the Hunters talking and setting up camp further up. Michael’s laughter travels towards them and Gavin lights up at the sound.

Jeremy’s chest aches at the sight and he has to look at the water again.

“Hey,” Gavin says and Jeremy looks back at him. Gavin smiles gently, “We’ll find Matt for you, Jeremy. If we can’t then we’ll find somebody else who can.”

Jeremy swallows around the sudden lump in his throat. “I- Thanks, Gavin.”

“Anytime, Little J.” Gavin stands up and brushes the dirt off his pant leg with a displeased grimace. His shirt slides down slightly to reveal the white bandages wrapped around his shoulder. Guilt flares up in the base of Jeremy’s stomach.

“Do you want me to try and fix that a little for you?” Jeremy offers before he thinks about it.

Gavin lights up like a Christmas tree before struggling to get his shirt off of him.  “That’d be tippy toppers,” he crows.

“You don’t need to-” Jeremy starts, but Gavin already has his shirt off before he can finish. The blond may be thin but there’s some lithe muscle definition under his clothes. Jeremy stares. “-don’t have to…” he mumbles distractedly.

“Go on, Little J!” Gavin crows cheerfully, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Work your magic!”

“Right…” Jeremy trails off, tearing his eyes away from the hair trailing down to vanish under the belt. He shakes his head, trying to gather his straying thoughts. Then he clears his throat, fingers reaching for the lute that isn’t there. Right. He can do this.

“With just a word I can heal,

Somewhat better you should feel.

Listen to my voice,

This here is my choice,

Gotta believe this is real.”

There’s a moment where Gavin is still staring at him expectantly and Jeremy is terrified that it hasn't worked. Then Gavin’s eyes widen, and he lifts a hand to his shoulder, touching the bandages carefully. The next moment he’s unravelling the white cloth, dropping it heedlessly on the dusty ground. Slender fingers trace over the wound, now a vivid, red scar.

“That’s amazing, Jeremy!” Gavin says.

Jeremy, who has seen Matt heal far worse, shrugs. “It’s nothing.”

Gavin narrows his eyes for a second before he lights up into a smile. “Here, in exchange.”

He holds out his palm and mutters something under his breath. A bright purple flower with orange stripes on it materializes in his hand. Then he frowns, staring at the lily in consternation.

“What?” he says outraged. “It was supposed to be yellow.”

Jeremy laughs and gingerly takes it out of his hand. “I think I like this better.”

“But it’s hideous, Little J!” Gavin protests, and Jeremy grins at him. He pops the first button on his shirt and sticks the stem through the hole. “Jeremy!”

“Let’s go back to camp before they think I ran off again,” Jeremy jokes.

Gavin frowns before sighing dramatically, throwing his hands up in the air. “Fine. Be like that.”

But the blond is grinning in a way that Jeremy knows he isn’t serious, so he grins back and continues his teasing. “Besides. Your Michael might be missing you.”

“He’s not _my-_ ” Gavin sputters, his hands dropping down as he opens and closes his mouth. “I mean- it’s not-”

“Uh huh. What was it you said? He’s ‘your boi’?”

“That’s- Jeremy, you can’t just turn my words back on me, that’s unfair!”

“Just pointing out the truth.”

“Where are you- Jeremy! Come back, you prick!”

But Jeremy’s already jogging up the hill, breathless with laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's actually a [purple and orange variant](http://www.magic4walls.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/After-the-rain-water-drops-bloom-purple-orange-lily-flowers-macro.jpg) of asiatic lilies.


	6. This Tree Has Bad News Written All Over It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've made their way out of Felix's tunnel system and are now in the forests surrounding Achievement City. Will they finally reach the capital?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're not dead! Yet. Anyway, new chapter :D

Ryan watches from the corner of his eyes as Gavin sidles close to Michael, murmuring something under his breath that makes the other snort. He relaxes, glad that they’re finally making up. It’s always hard on their group when those two get into a spat, especially since Ray isn’t here to make dry comments at their expense. It used to ease the tension until they smoothed things over. Now-

Ryan sighs and glances furtively at Jack and Geoff. Now they usually step in to keep the peace. Except Geoff seems to be in a right snit, and Jack, normally the first to seek out reconciliation is mulishly dragging his heels, brooding over a foreboding sense of dread.

The rustling of leaves catches his attention, and he looks to his left, one hand dropping down to hover over his boot knife.

But it’s just Jeremy, making his way back to the campfire after taking a leak in the bushes. For a moment, Ryan wonders how things changed in such a short time, that they trust him not to run away again- but Jeremy seems resigned to follow them to the city. His gaze is drawn to the orange and purple flower stuck to his lapel, and another thought flits through his brain. He remembers when Jeremy returned with Gavin from the river several days ago, that flower pinned to his vest. He remembers Michael’s glare well, too, and how he started avoiding Gavin after.

Neither of them spoke of what transpired at the river between them, but Gavin certainly seems closer to the man.

Jeremy looks around and hesitates. He’s been sticking close to Jack and Gavin, but the first is heading out to check the perimeter, while the latter is talking quietly with Michael. It’s more his own curiosity than pity, really, but when Jeremy turns to him, Ryan beckons him over. Jeremy slumps in relief, dropping down next to him. They sit in silence for a while, Ryan watching Jeremy fidget from the corner of his eyes.

“You seem tense,” Ryan says, and Jeremy rubs his arms.

“Just a weird feeling,” Jeremy murmurs, looking up with hooded eyes. “Like, I don’t know, like the path we’re walking should be familiar but the trees are the wrong shape.”

“Wrong shape?” Ryan echoes curiously, tilting his head.

Jeremy is quiet for a long moment. “Too tall and wide,” he whispers, staring off into the distance. “Or maybe too small and fragile. But the flowers are the same.”

He breaks off, gaze dropping to the ground, tracing something with his finger. Ryan leans in, but Jeremy’s hand obscures his view. Their shoulders bump together, and Jeremy flinches, blinking and shaking his head rapidly. He looks up at Ryan and plasters a smile on.

“Forget it. I’m just in a strange mood.”

Ryan hums in acknowledgement, gaze following Jeremy as the man stands up and walks over to the fire. He’s torn from his thoughtful observation as Geoff plops down next to him with a huff.

“You got a complaint, too?” he whines, following his gaze. Then he groans, hiding his face in his hands. “Not you, too. I swear, if he turns out to be just a lost kid I will never let any of you forget about it.”

“I’m counting on it,” Ryan drawls, bemused. He glances down to look at Jeremy’s drawing and frowns. It looks vaguely familiar. “He’s acting strange. I don’t like it.”

“Strange, how?” Geoff demands, straightening. He returns Ryan’s gaze solemnly, letting him know that he’s taking the issue seriously, all joking aside. Ryan chews on the inside of his cheek, trying to put his impressions into words.

“He’s been… jumpy. Staring into space as if he’s seeing a ghost, or in a trance, or something. I can’t really put my finger on it.” Ryan sighs, carelessly carding a hand through his hair. “I miss Ray,” he admits quietly.

Next to him, Geoff tenses. His tone is sharper, strained. “Why?”

Ryan blinks, looking up at him confused. “He was a great judge of character. And he knew a lot of stuff. A lot of people. I don’t know, I’d just like his insight here.”

“Gavin is a great judge of character, too, and he seems happy enough with Jeremy,” Geoff retorts, curling in on himself. “Besides, you’d be jumpy too if Michael shot you with his death glares all day long.”

Ryan snorts. “Not really helped by the fact that he’s pissed at Gavin for hanging out with Jeremy.”

“God, those two really need to get their shit together,” Geoff groans, hugging his knees to his chest. Ryan opens his mouth to reply, but just then a scream echoes through the clearing and he whips around, dagger in hand- Only to find Gavin tearing across their camp, a dripping wet Michael hot on his tail.

“GET BACK HERE YOU ASSHOLE!” Michael roars, and Gavin squeaks loudly as he barrels past them, vanishing between the trees. There's a splash and loud squawking followed by raucous laughter.

Geoff and Ryan stare after them for a long moment, before Geoff starts wheezing and Ryan can’t suppress the giggles anymore.

“That’s- that’s one way to make up-”

“What the fuck, did you see that-”

“Michael was _dripping wet_ , what the fuck did Gavin _do_?”

They grin at each other, the tension forgotten in favour of friendly camaraderie. The smile relaxes something in Geoff’s face, making his frown lines less prominent. His hooded eyes light up, the bags under them seeming less important than the crow feet at the corner of his eyes, the laughing dimples in his cheeks. Ryan licks his lips, suddenly nervous as Geoff leans close conspiratorially, opening his mouth-

Ryan leans back and clears his throat. “I was talking to Jack about our plans for the city earlier-”

Geoff interrupts him with a harrumph, and Ryan levels him a stern look.

“Are you two gonna make up any time soon, or can I expect more drama?”

“Why are you asking me that?” Geoff squawks, looking offended. “Jack’s the one who’s being stubborn!”

“Uh huh,” Ryan mutters, shooting Geoff a knowing look. The man sputters in outrage, and Ryan settles in to listen to a familiar tirade about their ungrateful asses not appreciating the stress Geoff puts up with for them, and how he should just all drop them for a proper team once they’re back in the city, where people _respect him_. It’s soothing in its familiarity, the cadence of Geoff’s voice settling his nerves.

“Are you even listening to me!?”

 

* * *

 

“It’s not quite a day’s march from here on out,” Gavin greets him with as he shakes him awake excitedly. “C’mon, little J. Geoff’s made breakfast.”

Now that they are close to the end of their journey, a different mood settles over the camp. Like a humming, thrumming energy running through all of the Hunters. They joke and jostle and laugh the entire way, as if a burden falls off their shoulders. As if this close to the city, all worries are forgotten, all the tension has been lifted.

Jeremy slouches into himself and trudges after Jack.

The trees still have an eerily familiar feeling to them, thin branches reaching out to brush his shoulders and claw at his face, as if to keep him from getting closer. Jeremy shudders. An arm drops over his shoulders and he looks up into Geoff’s concerned face.

“You alright, bud?” he asks lightly, squeezing his shoulder. Jeremy musters a small smile for him.

“I’m fine,” he assures the other man. Only to ruin the impression entirely by shivering, and his smile turns rueful. “Just a little cold, that’s all.”

Geoff hums noncommittally. He shrugs off his cloak and drapes it over Jeremy's shoulders without fanfare.

“Keep that,” he says, waving Jeremy off before he can protest. “It’s a mild day and I have more at the headquarters. Besides, it’s nothing special. No fancy enchantments or embroidery and stuff, just a rough wool cloak.”

Geoff trails off awkwardly, scuffing his feet. Jeremy glances down with a small smile and fastens the cloak tightly in front. It’s still warm, and the smell of coffee and metal oil wafts up from the rough-hewn wool. Jeremy takes a deep breath, and his smile widens. Metal oil and the clinking of chainmail always reminds him of Matt, and right now it’s a welcome thought.

“Thanks, Geoff.” He glances up to catch the older man regarding him contemplatively. He pulls the cloak tighter around his chest and grins cheekily up at him. “I will cherish this gift forever and ever and ever. I bet the others will be so jealous.”

“Oh, piss off,” Geoff grumbles amicably, shoving at his shoulder, but Jeremy is undeterred.

“Hey, Gavin!” he hollers, and the druid perks up from where he’s walking with Mogar further back.

“What is it, little J?” he calls back, skipping several steps to catch up with them. Jeremy grins mischievously.

“Look at this fancy cloak Geoff just gave me!” He bows with a flourish, draping the cloak over his arm like a cape. “Isn’t it gorgeous? I always knew Geoff liked me best.”

“Oy,” Geoff protests when Gavin turns to pout at him. “I only have the one cloak, asshole. Stop looking at me like that!”

Jeremy clutches a hand to his chest and gasps dramatically. “Geoffrey! Why, knowing that makes it even more special a gift!”

The others have subtly turned to watch them by now, and Jeremy flails his arms exaggeratedly, the cloak flapping in the slight breeze.

“Geoffrey,” Gavin whines, eyes sparkling. “Geoff, don’t you love me anymore, Geoff. Where’s my gift, Geoff.”

Up ahead, Jack coughs, a wheezing, strangled sound.

“Yes, Geoffrey,” Ryan calls back, flashing them an impish grin. “Why didn’t I get a cloak?”

“You’re all assholes,” Geoff declares, and Gavin doubles over giggling, struggling to breath. Even Mogar is snickering, so Jeremy counts it as a win. Geoff huffs and shakes his head, before bumping their shoulders together.

“You’re alright, Jeremy,” he informs him softly. Then he hastens his steps to catch up with Ryan in front, yelling for the other man to shut up.

Their shenanigans may have distracted Jeremy for a moment, but that uncomfortable feeling of familiarity creeps back in slowly. Something about the forest feels wrong, the wind rustling through the leaves whispering in his ears, words he can almost make out. It’s a familiar cadence, but Jeremy can’t quite put his finger on it. They cross a river, and Jeremy nearly slips, too busy frowning at a rock formation on the other side. Ryan catches him absent-mindedly.

“Careful,” he murmurs, before continuing on.

Jeremy digs his fingers into the cloak and inhales deeply, trying to shake the sense of wrongness.

They finally leave the forest, starting to trek up a hill. It’s a pretty steep climb, but the Hunters seem to take it in stride. Jeremy follows them closely, trying to hide how out of breath it leaves him. Glancing back over his shoulder, he frowns at the trees. The woods still have an ominous sense to them, but the looming sense of dread increases the further away they go. Jeremy shakes himself and turns to catch up with the others.

“We’ll be able to see the city from up there,” Jack explains, shooting him a friendly smile as he steps up to the man’s side. “It’s a pretty damn nice view.”

“Achievement City is the capital of this kingdom, right?” Jeremy clarifies.

“Yeah,” Geoff calls back, stopping at the top and turning to wait for them with a grin. “With the castle and, more importantly, our headquarters! You can see both of them from up here, come on!”

“It’s an amazing sight, the first time,” Gavin chimes in, coming up to Jeremy’s side. “You’ll love it! It’s probably the biggest human city I’ve ever seen!”

Jeremy smiles, infected by Gavin’s good cheer. He lets the man drag him up the last couple with a laugh. Geoff slings his arm around his shoulders as the other arm makes a wide gesture, presenting the view to him.

“Ta da! Achievement City,” he announces proudly. Jeremy glances at him bemusedly before following his gaze. “It’s maybe an hour’s march still, but we’re almost there! Whaddaya think?”

Rolling green hills spread in front of them, smaller than the one they’re standing on. Green meadows give way to yellow fields, as far as the eye can see. And in the middle of it all, nestled like a jewel on a rich cushion, stands the city. Sprawling brown and grey buildings mold together in the distance, dotted by blue and red roofs. A tall, obsidian tower erupts from the back, almost looming over what is unmistakably a castle, gleaming white and gold in the noon sun. The entire city is surrounded by a tall wall.

Jeremy inhales sharply.

“Breathtaking, innit?” Gavin observes, but Jeremy barely hears him, his voice oddly muffled. Distant.

He keeps staring at the familiar castle. He remembers it as if he’d seen it yesterday, not years ago. It still looks exactly the same as the day he glanced back over his shoulder on this very hill. Except back then, the forest still engulfed the top. They’d stood among the trees, he and Matt, watching the sun set behind the castle, throwing everything into purple and orange shadows.

 _If you come with me,_ Matt had said _, you can never return here, you realize that?_

 _I know_ , Jeremy had said, firm in his decision.

The dark tower is new, and Jeremy rips his gaze from the castle to stare at the looming giant instead.

_Do you regret it?_

A hand clasps his shoulder and pulls him along. “Come on, let’s head in!”

_Do you regret it?_

 

* * *

 

Jeremy spends the entire hour in something of a daze, eyes glued on the buildings ahead of them. He doesn’t speak a single word, not as Gavin chatters about the various flowers and plants they’re passing by, not as Geoff greets the guards amiably, not as they finally pass through the gate. Jack and Ryan take turns bringing up bits of history about the kingdom and its capital, but it goes in one ear and out the other. The sounds and sights fade into the background as dread creeps up his spine.

Now as they enter through the gate, Jeremy finally tears his gaze away from the castle and its obsidian tower long enough to look around. The Hunters lead him through the busy streets, and Jeremy takes it all in as if through a hazy veil.

The city is still the same.

There’s the tavern to his right where he used to go before he met Matt. There’s the jewelry store who didn’t mind him performing in front of their shop because it attracted customers. There’s the bakery whose owner would take pity on him those times when he couldn’t afford anything three days in a row. Jeremy can’t tear his eyes away. A hand on his shoulder guides him through the crowd, or else he’d run into every second person.

They turn the corner, and nothing looks like it should.

There’s houses in the wrong colour, a yard where a shop should be. Jeremy walks past them in a daze, the phantoms of memory laid over reality. That’s where that one girl used to live, Jeremy was pretty sure she was sweet on him- That’s where he got into a brawl, the one Matt saved him from- A line of horses are tied to a log where another tavern should be, an open field is now stuffed with tiny houses.

They walk through the market and the stands are all in the right place, but they have the wrong people behind them- That one used to sell cheese, but now there’s leatherworks laid out on the table. That one’s still selling fruits, but the faces are wrong.

Dust whips around his feet.

It feels like an illusion.

Like a bad dream.

“Hey,” Ryan says, his hand must be the one on his shoulder because when Jeremy doesn’t respond he’s shaken a little bit. “Jeremy?”

“I thought you said that you were taking me to Achievement City.” Jeremy says, his breathing is coming a little too fast, but it feels like a small worry when the rest of him is working to keep him upright. “Where are we?”

“We _are_ in Achievement City,” Mogar responds, tone sharp. Almost accusing. “You said that you’ve never been here before.”

Jeremy stares uncomprehendingly at the man and then his legs fold out from underneath him and he goes down to his knees in the dirt.  The Hunters, for all of their callousness and their skittering around issues, have never lied to him.

Jeremy can tell that they aren’t lying to him about this. He presses his forehead against the ground. Buildings don’t just pop out of the ground in a handful of months, vendors don’t pack and leave a bustling metropolis to make room for new. Things don’t change this much in a couple years, and it definitely takes longer than six years to build a fucking giant tower. There’s too much food, the people look too rich even with the beggars sitting in the corner, the weather is wrong _wrong_ ** _wrong_** -

Best friends like Matt don’t just leave their partner in magic towers with strange old men and oh. By the gods, no. _No_.

He remembers the face of the old man, vaguely recalls his confused, scrambled thoughts.

_The old man looks oddly familiar, like he should recognize him. He vaguely resembles Matt, he thinks, a family member perhaps? Except he can’t remember Matt ever mentioning any family and they’ve gotten really close these last few years._

Not Matt, it can’t be-

_Do you regret it?_

That doesn’t make sense, Matt is just his age, the man was too old-

_Do you regret it?_

It couldn’t have been Matt. That would mean-

_Do you regret it?_

But no, if Matt had aged, if that old man was really Matt, why was Jeremy still young-

_Do you regret it?_

Please, by the gods, by Axial, please _no_ -

_Do you regret it?_

In the sudden stillness of the merchant square, Jeremy screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback always welcome! Next update will be in a week, so stay tuned as the plot starts to thicken :3c


	7. People Who Know The Time Are Smart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first stage of grief is denial.

_White, fluffy clouds drag across the sky above. He’s lying on something soft- not grass, there was nothing tickling the back of his neck. No, it felt more like a pile of unspun wool. Jeremy digs his fingers into the soft ground and it gives easily. He wonders how clouds would taste._

_Laughter is carried on the wind, and Jeremy turns his head. A group of children are running through the white landscape, dancing around a cloaked figure. But it’s not cold, doesn’t feel like snow between his fingers. It’s wispy and escapes his grasp and whirls up around the children as they flit about. Jeremy sits up, watching them curiously._

_They stop shortly in front of him, jumping up and down. Small, translucent wings flutter behind their backs, keeping them afloat a bit longer._

_“Over here, over here!”_

_The hooded figure looks up, and Jeremy’s heart nearly stops._

_“Matt?” he whispers, but his voice carries with an unearthly echo across the clouds. “Is that you- Are you- Matt?”_

_The figure looks down at themself. From this angle, Jeremy can see the red shine of their cloak, and he scrambles to his feet, heart thudding in his chest._

_“Am I?” the figure asks, sounding bemused. They look up, and a lock of brown hair curls over their cheek, warm brown eyes gleaming with laughter. “Guess I am.”_

_His heart hurts as he stumbles a step forward, another, and another, before coming to a hesitant halt. “I- What happened, Matt? Where are we?”_

_“We’re inside your mind, Jeremy,” the figure says, and Jeremy frowns. It sounds like Matt - the voice, the cadence, but… “You’ve fallen unconscious. Do you remember?”_

_Jeremy shakes his head. He doesn’t want to think about it, instinctively shies away from the memories. That way lies confusion, and pain. But the thought pops up unwillingly, because…_

_“You’re dead.” Jeremy eyes Matt’s red cloak, his now-sad brown eyes. “Aren’t you? Is this the afterlife? Am I dead now, too? If it’s been decades-”_

_“No,” the figure tells him and reaches out a hand. Jeremy glances down at it. “You’re still alive.”_

_“Then… are you alive, too?” Jeremy asks in a small voice, suddenly afraid to touch Matt and shatter the illusion. “Was it all just a bad dream?”_

_“I’m afraid not,” the figure says regretfully, and the pieces start clicking into place. Then they add, more insistently. “You need to return now, Jeremy.”_

_Jeremy stares at the hand and starts reaching out for it. Just before he takes it, he glances up at the figure in front of him, with the painfully familiar features._

_“You’re not Matt, are you?” he asks, but deep in his heart he already knows the answer. The figure pauses._

_“No,” they say, and the sad smile shouldn’t look at home on Matt’s face, but it does. “I’m not.”_

_Jeremy nods and then takes the hand firmly._

He wakes with a gasp, clenching the hand in his own. He’s panting for breath, heart racing in his chest, but he keeps his eyes firmly closed. For a long, terrible second he wishes that that was Matt, ready to guide him into the afterlife. Wishes to join him, to tell him-

“You’re awake,” an unfamiliar voice says. “Good. How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Jeremy sighs and opens his eyes.

The room at a glance looks so much like the Witch’s hut that for a second Jeremy - if he had any energy left - would’ve been angry. Instead there’s just a well of apathy that swallows almost every emotion except for the grief. On a second glance, however, there are minute details that stick out as different - the candles aren’t a bright and sickeningly red but instead a green that reminds him of grass, there aren’t any weird things preserved in jars. The window is open to let in a bit of a breeze, the sun lighting the room up. It’s a warm colour of wood, and it gives the place a bit of a homely feel.

“So, uh, not to be rude or anything, but who are you?” Jeremy finally asks, turning towards the woman. Short cropped hair, a black witch’s hat and cloak with purple sheen, dark purple gloves and equally purple lipstick. She shoots him a quick smile, pulling out a flask out of a box.

“I’m Kdin, I work for the Hunters’ Association. Here, drink this.”

Jeremy takes it without complaint, swirling the dark-green liquid within the glass. It looks like a healing potion- he unstoppers the flask and takes a whiff. Yeah, definitely healing properties, and probably anti-headache, too. With a shrug he chugs it down, holding the empty bottle out for the wo- Kdin.

“The Hunters, huh?”

Kdin nods. “We’re at headquarters right now, in the infirmary wing. You’ve been unconscious for three days.”

Jeremy frowns, sitting up and leaning back against the wall. He’s wearing a fresh tunic, he realizes, and a quick glance around shows his other clothes newly washed on a chair beside the bed, with all his other gear.

“That was you, right?” he asks, and at Kdin’s questioning look he clarifies, “The figure. In my dream.”

“Ah.” Kdin pauses before nodding. “Yes, indeed. That was me.”

“You wore Matt’s face.” The accusation slips out before he can think. His chest twinges.

“We were worried that you wouldn’t wake up,” Kdin explains evasively. “Finally it was decided that I would… _examine_ your mental state, and if possible guide you home. Your mind picked up on the fact that I was there to help, and thus gave me a… friendly face, someone you would trust.”

 _Liar_ , Jeremy thinks, not quite uncharitably. He’s never learned much of mind magics, but after his encounter with _her_ … Well, Matt taught him everything he knows. Mind magicks don’t work like that, he’s certain. There’s suggestive and manipulative spells though - like _Friends_ but more complex. They’re something of a taboo, or at least not talked about in polite company.

“I’m sorry if that face caused you pain,” Kdin adds, and she sounds sincere, too. Sympathetic. It’s a refreshing start, to meet someone who’s not immediately hostile.

“He’s my partner,” Jeremy offers, and deliberately doesn’t say _was_. He doesn’t want to think about it. He could- he’s probably jumping to all the wrong conclusions again. So maybe he slept a couple years instead of a couple days, what of it? Things change, and sometimes they change rapidly - especially in the middle of a civil war. Matt could still be out there.

It’s too painful to imagine a world without him.

Kdin is nodding her understanding. “How are you feeling?” she changes the topic and gently takes his face into her hands, turning it this way and that. Jeremy tries to keep his eyes on her. “Any pains? Neck, chest? A headache, perhaps?”

Jeremy shrugs and doesn’t flinch as she snaps her finger, a white spark flashing directly before his eyes. “Nothing particularly noticeable, no. Bit of a headache, but I’m sure that potion will take care of it.”

He doesn’t mention how his chest aches, shoves the thought to the back of his mind. It’s nothing physical, nothing to be done about it. He just… has to find Matt and convince his heart of what hasn’t been lost. What can’t be lost, because… because he hasn’t told him. Not yet.

Kdin gives him a considering look before nodding slowly. “Well, just let me know if that changes. You should rest. I’ll bring you food in a bit.”

 

* * *

 

“He’s awake,” Kdin announces as she sweeps into the room. There’s a short moment of silence, before they burst into an uproar of questions and demands. “He’s not ready for visitors,” she adds and the room falls quiet again.

Geoff clears his throat. “Is he -?” He doesn’t want to use the word alright. Not after the way that Jeremy screamed and cried himself hoarse before falling into a comatose state. Geoff wasn’t able to sleep, after, the screams echoing in his head whenever he closes his eyes.

Kdin said that Jeremy is suffering from Magical Exhaustion.

Heartbreak is Geoff’s guess even though he has no fucking idea what the heartbreak is over.

“I think you should all go and try to get some rest,” Kdin tells them as she starts heading towards the mess hall. She pauses in the door and clears her throat. “I have some sleeping potions, if any of you are still having trouble sleeping.”

Geoff thinks that he just might take her up on her offer.

“Thank you, Kdin,” Jack says quietly, and it’s probably the first thing the man said in hours. Geoff feels a stab of guilt at the thought. “We appreciate it.”

Kdin narrows her eyes at them and nods firmly, before stepping out of the room, leaving the three of them alone. Gavin and Michael are checking in with Lindsay. They’ve all been taking turns to report in, too uneasy not to sit watch but also too restless to stay here continuously. Besides, their information might be time-sensitive. Geoff reported first, prioritizing all the things that he thought important. He’ll have to write up another, more detailed report later.

Ryan looks up from the scroll he’s been studying. His face is inscrutable.

“You should, you know. Sleep,” he says awkwardly. He and Michael are the only two who managed some sleep in the last three days, while Gavin is mostly fine with his meditative trance. Fucking druids.

“I will, I will,” Geoff gives in with a sigh, rubbing his palm over his face. “Christ. After talking to Jeremy. We still don’t know what happened.”

Ryan’s lips thin, but he nods agreeably enough. _Mental breakdown_ , he’s suggested in the long hours they spent sitting in this room, watching the embers in the fireplace. All of them have many theories, but the fact is, they still don’t know.

Jack scrubs at his face with a heavy sigh. “We’re not going to get any rest in here,” he points out.

“You’re right,” Ryan sighs as he rubs his eyes with the back of his hand. He sniffs at his shirt and pulls a face. “I need to bathe.”

Geoff keeps his eyes on the floor in front of him as Ryan gives them one last soft “Goodbye” and leaves, closing the door behind him gently.

“-Geoff. Geoff.” Jack says and Geoff’s head snaps up to look at him.

“Sorry, sorry. What is it?”

Jack stares at him for a long moment “You should go wash, too. Get some rest.”

Geoff turns his face away, looking out of the window. It’s bright out, a nice summer day. It feels like it should rain, properly reflect his mood, he thinks dully. Instead it’s just… sunny.

“Geoff,” Jack snaps, concerned hands reaching towards him.

“I know, I know,” Geoff huffs. He glances at the other man for barely a second, before dropping his gaze. “I’m sorry, you know.”

Jack stills. “For what?” he inquires carefully.

“Being an ass,” Geoff answers, shaking his head. His hands are pretty dirty, he thinks absently. He can’t remember when he last cleaned them, but it must’ve been before he helped Ryan search through the books in here, for lack of anything better to do. They are quite dusty.

“Well, you’re gonna have to narrow that one down, Geoffrey,” Jack jokes weakly, bumping his shoulder against Geoff’s. “Was it that time that you made fun of me in front of that girl I had a crush on? Or that time you had Kdin enchant a cushion to let out a fart noise everytime I sat down on it? Maybe that time you got drunk and-”

“For pissing you off,” Geoff says and rolls his eyes. “Honestly, will you ever let that one drop? It’s been years!”

Jack sits back in his armchair, and when Geoff glances over at him, he can see that his friend is surprised. Something ugly turns in his stomach at that.

“I know I can be an asshole, but you were just worried. A good friend would have listened,” he acknowledges self-deprecatingly, hanging his head.

“You’re a good friend, Geoff,” Jack reassures him after a minute. “We both know that we’re assholes. If the roles were reversed, I don’t know if I would’ve listened to you, either.”

A burst of warmth curls at the bottom of Geoff’s chest. “I think you would’ve. After all, I only have the best things to say,” he argues playfully just to ruin the moment.

Sure enough, Jack rolls his eyes, but at least he’s smiling, “Fuck no, I wouldn’t have. Listening to you? When have I ever done that?”

“Fuck if I know,” Geoff agrees, voice cracking a little.

Jack stands up and walks up next to him. He stretches with a few cracks that make Geoff wince before he offers his hand. “You really need to bathe,” he reminds him.

“So do you,” Geoff retorts. He clasps his oldest friend’s shoulder and squeezes gratefully. He’s sure Jack understands. “You keep me humble, Jack.”

“Well, somebody has to,” Jack drawls and then snorts, shaking his head. “Go. I’ll keep watch until the lads are back.”

“If anything happens-” Geoff starts, but Jack interrupts him immediately.

“I’ll send someone to wake you.” Jack smiles and pulls him in for a quick hug. “Stop worrying, that’s my job.”

Geoff nods, squeezing Jack’s shoulder, and with one last glance backwards he heads for the baths.

 

* * *

 

After staring at the ceiling for several hours, Jeremy is starting to get bored. Get some sleep, Kdin said, and yeah, he tries that for a bit. But the thoughts swirling through his head weigh heavily on his mind, and every time he stops being distracted by something else, every time his focus slips, his thoughts return to Matt. What might have happened to him. It seemed so simple, even just a couple days ago. Figure out where he is, where Matt would most likely be, track him down. Now though…

It must have been at least four years, he thinks glumly. Four years he slept, unaware of the passage of time. Well, it does explain the beard he woke up with.

And it can’t have been longer because- it can’t. It’s just not possible.

He wonders why Matt stashed him in that tower. He’s not mad about it, not really. If he’s really been sleeping for so long… Matt has things to do, necessary, important things. He doesn’t have time to sit vigil over his stupid, comatose friend. That old man, though… He shared some familiar features. A distant uncle, maybe, waiting out the results of the civil war far away from the city?

The war must be over, though, from what he’s seen. The city is too quiet, too calm. The guards at the gate were alert, sure, but Geoff hadn’t even vouched for him. Hadn’t needed to.

And didn’t they mention their monarch was a Queen? He’s pretty sure it was a King, last time he checked. Not that he ever really cared, but Matt likes keeping abreast of the political situation. Makes it easier to know which towns to avoid, where to go. There are enough people after them, no need to complicate things.

Jeremy presses his lips together.

_If you come with me, you can never return here._

He’s been throwing Matt’s name around, and now he’s back in the capital. He can only hope these people don’t put the pieces together - Matt’s a common enough name, after all. He wrecks his brain, trying to recall what else he mentioned about his partner - he keeps most personal details to himself these days, knows how to evade questions, but he hasn’t been as careful after the shock of waking in a weird tower as he’d like. What else has he-

There’s a knock on the door.

Jeremy looks up, glad to be distracted from his thoughts. Gavin pokes his head in and gives him a dazzling smile that instantly brightens his mood. He’s followed by Mogar, which should dampen his spirits, but the other man isn’t glaring at him anymore. In fact, he’s avoiding looking in Jeremy’s direction at all, studying the shelf with the colourful vials instead. Jeremy’s gonna count it as a plus.

“Little J! You’re awake!” Gavin beams at him as he settles on the edge of the bed. Mogar closes the door behind them and leans his back against it, crossing his arms. “I’m glad. We were rather worried!”

“I’m fine,” Jeremy promises gently, warmed by the obvious concern in green eyes. He shoots Gavin a crooked grin. “Might just die out of boredom, though.”

Gavin perks up immediately. “We could take you on an adventure! Show you the city maybe!”

“Kdin says he needs rest,” Mogar interrupts surly, looking away from the two of them. It’s not hostile, however, even if his voice has a dark edge to it. Gavin purses his lips.

“Headquarters, then,” he amends easily, before returning to smiling at Jeremy. “We can show you the mess hall, and the common room, and- oh! There’s a herb garden and a flower garden. Do you feel up to a walk, Little J?”

Jeremy nods immediately. “Hell yeah, I’m up for it. Anything to get me out of here for a moment.”

“You just keeled over three days ago!” Mogar protests, carding a hand through his hair in frustration. He’s blocking the door by virtue of standing in front of it. “You can’t just- start running around against healer’s advice!”

“It’s just to the gardens, Michael,” Gavin wheedles, giving him his best puppy dog eyes. “Just ten minutes, tops. C’mon, Michael, please.”

“Yeah,” Jeremy latches on, eagerly pushing to his feet. “Besides, I’ve slept three days already. Some fresh air will be good for me. Let’s go.”

Mogar averts his eyes and sighs, but he moves out of their way.

“Thanks, boi!” Gavin chirps, giving him a quick side-hug. “You won’t regret it!”

“Better not,” he mutters under his breath, giving Jeremy a sharp glance as he passes.

Gavin leads him through several winding hallways and down a set of stairs, and by the time they reach the archway into the backyard, Jeremy is pretty sure he couldn’t find his way back up to the infirmary. Just how big is this place?

The gardens - and really, they seem massive enough to deserve the plural in Jeremy’s mind - are breathtaking. There’s rows of supports holding climbing vines aloft, soft pink buds just starting to blossom. Various herbs are arranged in neat rows to his right, and he only recognizes a few of them: lovage, parsley, cilantro, a few others. To his left, there’s potato plants and stalks of corn, behind which a whole other garden full of vegetables seems to stretch out. Gavin shows him around with a skip in his step, names some of the herbs and points out his favourites. Michael quietly trails a couple steps after them.

And Jeremy… Jeremy closes his eyes and tips his head back to enjoy the warm tendrils of sunlight on his face. Inhales the vibrant smells of the different plants around them and lets go of the tension crawling up his spine.

This is fine. He can relax for a moment.

They stop in front of a rosebed. Full, red roses in full bloom reach high towards the sky, as if trying to reach the sun. They would make nicely for a romantic poem, Jeremy thinks as he eyes them critically. And probably a pretty bouquet, too.

Gavin has fallen silent, staring at a rose in the front. Slowly he reaches out and brushes his fingers over the petals, before letting it drop with a sigh. Mogar walks up next to him, bumps their shoulders together.

“This was Ray’s corner,” Gavin murmurs. Jeremy can see Mogar tense at the words. “The roses… he always loved coming here, taking care of them whenever he could. I wonder…”

But he doesn’t finish the thought. Jeremy steps forward, standing to his other side. He watches the two of them from the corner of his eyes - Gavin's gaze is trained on the roses, while Mogar is staring down at the stone path, fists clenched by his side.

“He must’ve been quite the romantic,” Jeremy hazards carefully. A shaky breath travels through Mogar’s chest, his arms trembling.

“I suppose he was,” he grits out. Gavin bites his lip, turning his back on the roses. His arms come up as if to hug himself, and Jeremy has to look away.

“Matt never cared much,” Jeremy offers awkwardly, and Mogar turns his head to watch him. “Not that we… well. For him, plants were just plants. He only knew them if they were of some use to him, but even then- He prefered to rely on his magic for healing, really.”

“Sounds like a funny guy,” Gavin quips half-heartedly. Mogar glances from Jeremy to Gavin and then back to the roses with a slight frown.

“He was- _is_ ,” Jeremy agrees with a soft smile. He scrubs a hand over his eyes, starting to feel extremely tired. “I really need to find him.”

For a moment, nobody says anything. Then Mogar clears his throat, stepping carefully around him and past Gavin.

“We should take you back to the infirmary,” he says without looking back at them, something weird in his voice. Jeremy is not sure what to make of it. He glances up as he’s ushered back inside, and he has to stop and stare for a moment. The big obsidian building towers in front of them, reaching up far into the sky.

So. This is headquarters, huh.

Jeremy’s not sure what to make of it, all of it, really. He lets himself be herded inside and tries not to think too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the amazing comments and feedback! We've been so motivated by the response to the last chapter, we're nearly done with the next one! So keep an eye out for another quick update <3


	8. Bad Timing Because Of The Other Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denial only works as long as you can ignore the facts.

It’s Jack who wakes him, on what Jeremy assumes is the next day. He’s feeling a little better, if still more groggy than he’d prefer. Jack shows him to the baths and patiently helps him into what looks like a uniform, black tunic and pants with green highlights, a star within a circle embroidered on the hem.

The Hunter’s headquarters must be massive, Jeremy thinks as Jack leads him through corridor upon corridor.

There’s a woman waiting for them in a room, sitting at the head of the table. Her red hair shades into blonde towards the bottom, matching her red and orange tunic. A gold star within a circle is pinned to her lapels, the brooch rather resembling the symbol he’s wearing himself, now. He’s seen it a lot on the way here, above doors and on the spines of books. She looks up and waves them in with a friendly smile.

“And this is the head of the Hunters, Lindsay,” Jack introduces the redhead.

“Or Headhunter, if you will,” the woman jokes. Jeremy already likes her. “‘Sup.”

“So do you actually hunt down heads, or…?” Jeremy asks bemusedly. Lindsay shoots him a grin.

“Only if you’re a zombie or a skeleton,” she assures, before pausing to give him a long look. “You’re not, are you?”

“Not that I know of,” Jeremy replies drily. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Good,” Lindsay says in a serious tone, a smile flitting over her face.

The rest of their group starts trickling in then, with Ryan leaving the door open behind him as he sits down in a corner seat. Jeremy ends up bracketed by Jack on one side and Geoff on the other, bumping his shoulder companionably.

It’s more comfortable than Jeremy anticipated, and he’s just relaxing when Ryan sighs and says, “Why did you collapse at the town square?”

There’s a chorus of “Jesus, Ryan!” and “We were gonna start him off slow!”

“I don’t know.” Jeremy meets his eyes straight on, fingers digging into the soft cloth of his pants. “It’s not- I was feeling off on the way here. And then things started spinning…” He lifts a hand and waves it in a circle. “Then everything went black. I dunno.” He shrugs one shoulder and drops his gaze.

Geoff and Jack exchange a worried look.

“Has something like this happened before?” Jack ventures carefully, but Jeremy shakes his head immediately.

“Not that I can recall.” He hesitates, a vague feeling in the back of his mind, a nebulous thought that he can’t quite grasp, before he continues, “I mean, not without someone clubbing me over the head.”

“Fair play,” Gavin agrees, humming thoughtfully. “If it weren’t just you who fell unconscious I’d say it’s a Sleep spell, but… this doesn’t sound like it.”

Jeremy can only shrug again.

“You knew where we were, though,” Mogar speaks up, calmer than Jeremy expected. He makes a circling motion with his hand. “You recognized the city, I mean.”

“It wasn’t called _Achievement City_ last I was here,” Jeremy mutters, dragging a hand over his head helplessly. “Which for me was less than five years ago.”

“That’s impossible,” Ryan protests, gesturing wildly. “The capital’s been _Achievement City_ for nearly a century, now! Ever since Queen Ashley the Ascended united the people-”

 _Ashley_ rings a bell. Matt talked about her- Princess Ashley, the king’s only child…

 _The king’s only eligible child was a woman, and back then women weren’t allowed to inherit_.

“That- that can’t be-” Jedemy rasps, eyes widening in horror. “That would mean-”

“That you’ve been sleeping for a hundred years?” Kdin asks as she sweeps into the room, and Jeremy tenses, tracking the witch’s path. “I’m afraid it’s much too likely, actually.”

Black and purple robes swish as she sits down next to Lindsay, folding her hands on the table. The rest of the Hunters exchange uneasy looks.

“Magic?” Lindsay guesses, and Kdin nods.

“He’s been cursed,” she explains, and Jeremy flinches. “It’s been mitigated by some sort of protection, but both magicks still cling to him. I’m afraid this isn’t over.”

“What kind of curse?” Lindsay asks, eyes narrowing sharply. Kdin shakes her head.

“That, I can’t tell. It’s darker than anything else I’ve encountered before.” She shrugs. “The protection seems to be divine magic, maybe linked to one of the Old Gods? Not my area of expertise, sorry.”

 _Axial_ , Jeremy thinks with a pang. _Matt._

“Maybe the Queen would know,” Jack muses, scratching at his beard. He glances from Jeremy to Lindsay. “We need to go see her, anyway.”

“The vision. Right,” Geoff murmurs quietly, and Jeremy thinks he’s not supposed to have heard. Nobody reacts to his words, anyway. Geoff clears his throat. “First, we need to figure out what to do with Jeremy here.”

They all turn to look at him. Jeremy chews on the inside of his cheek, feeling the pressure.

“What do you want to do now, Little J?” Gavin asks gently, and Jeremy shrugs.

“Dunno. Guess I’ll have to figure out somewhere to live, or something.” He doesn’t really want to think about it, about the implications- any of it. “I’ve made a living on my own before, nothing to it.”

“You can have a place with us,” Jack offers softly, and Jeremy looks up, eyes flitting between him and the others. “We can always use another pair of eyes, and you know healing spells.”

“Not much, though,” Jeremy objects, mostly out of habit.

“You should consider the curse,” Ryan chimes in quietly. His arms are crossed and he’s eyeing Jeremy thoughtfully. “There’s nothing you can do if you’re on your own when the curse starts overwhelming the protective magicks.”

“I’d be a risk for any companions, too,” he points out, but his heart skips a beat. He catches Kdin’s eyes and raises a brow. The witch shrugs uncomfortably.

“It might go one way, or the other. Hard to say which of the spells will win in the end.” She turns to Lindsay. “If he’s a Hunter, I can keep an eye on that whenever they check in.”

Lindsay nods thoughtfully. “Jeremy. I can offer you a temporary place with our Association and this group in particular, but not the Order itself. That’s out of my hands. But until we figure out what’s going on, you can work with us. If you want it.”

Jeremy considers it for a long moment. Thinks of travelling and doing tricks and songs in exchange for food. To go back on the road alone, return to performing as he had before- before Matt. A swelling loneliness creeps up his spine, and he presses his lips together firmly. He can’t- he’s not ready to dwell on that. Not ready to be left alone with his thoughts for days, weeks with no end.

“I think I’ll take you up on that,” he announces, and Gavin clasps his shoulder reassuringly.

Lindsay hums agreeably. “Then so be it.” She claps her hands and pushes back her chair, legs scraping across the floor. “Let’s go visit Queen Tina!”

 

* * *

 

Jeremy has never visited royalty before, but he can’t help but feel that the way the Hunters go about it is probably not the right way to do it.

“We have a message for the Queen!” Lindsay yells, as she cheerfully bustles through the palace. “Make way!”

People take one look at the chaotic mess that is the group heading their way and scurry to the sides to watch the spectacle. One mother scoops her screaming toddler up just in the nick of time as they barrel past. The castle passes by in a blur of elegance and wealth that makes Jeremy’s head spin before they finally stop in front of inconspicuous wooden door.

Jeremy, who thought that there would be more fanfare about a war room can’t help but feel slightly cheated.

Two guards cross their halberds in front of the door, blocking their way.

“The Queen is holding an audience and is not to be disturbed,” one of them says.

“Move out of the damn way, Gibson, before I move you,” Lindsay orders with a bright smile. “That goes for you too, Luna.”

Both of the guards warily glance at each other before stepping out of their way without another word. Geoff steps forward to push the doors open, revealing a large room where several people are crowded around a large wooden table with what appears to be a map on it.

“-the patrols on the west border-” A female tiefling with purple skin and wavy blonde hair is saying before whirling around with her staff pointed at them.

“Lindsay?” a woman with dark brown hair curling around her shoulders asks. A beautifully wrought, golden crown sits on top of her head. “What is it?”

Lindsay must say something in response, but Jeremy can’t quite hear her. He is too busy locking eyes with the Queen. It’s as if the sounds fade around him, and leaves the two of them the only people in the room that matter. Her brown eyes are wide as they stare at each other. There’s a buzzing in the air, a rising tension between them, and Jeremy prepares himself for a burst of magic-

 _Snap_.

Without another word both of them crumble to the ground. Jeremy cries out in pain, it feels like magic is stabbing him in the back of his skull. His eyes are forced open, locked with the Queen’s equally wide ones, and he can see the pain reflected there. He hardly even notices as his vision fades to the sound of panicked yelling all around him.

 

* * *

 

 _A soft voice calls to him, and Jeremy stirs. He doesn’t know this voice - a feminine lull, an accent that is as unfamiliar to him as this city he_ should _know, yet doesn’t. The woman calls his name, and Jeremy’s eyes flash open with sudden urgency._

_“Hello?” he calls out and a hand grasps his. He glances down and follows the arm to a beautiful face. Brown eyes muster him quietly, as her hair frames her face in waves. He’s seen her before. She’s a complete stranger._

_“Keep calm,” she advises. “Listen carefully. There are people who will trick you. People you will get very close to. Remember my words, trust no one.”_

_Jeremy frowns, staring at the woman. Deep in his heart, he trusts her._

_“Aren’t you… Do I know you? I feel like I should know you,” he asks, confused._

_She smiles and calls his name again. “What is the last thing you remember seeing? Where were you before you joined me?”_

_“I was… Lindsay dragged us into the palace. We were supposed to… to meet with the Queen?” Jeremy stares down at his hand in consternation, taking in her long, fine fingers. Then he looks up and slowly it dawns on him. “Are you the Queen?”_

_Her smile gentles, and she reaches up with her free hand to cup his face._

_“Promise me,” she whispers, and the way his name drops from her lips is fascinating. “You need to promise me. You cannot trust them.”_

_“Trust who?” Jeremy asks, feeling like he’s wading through mud. There’s a heavy fog on the edges of his vision._

_The Queen’s face flashes for a second, too quick for his eyes to catch before a gentle smile graces her face again. Jeremy half wants to promise her anything. The Queen leans in close, her lips brushing against his ear._

_“You cannot trust them. Your companions,” she breathes. “They will betray you. Remember that.”_

_“I… I will,” Jeremy stutters. He steps back from her, his stomach feeling heavy. The woman tightens her grip on his hand and keeps him close._

_“Promise me,” she insists, and her eyes seem to darken for a heartbeat. “You need to swear it.”_

_“I… I promise that-” Jeremy starts, brows furrowing. Something is wrong. He tugs on his hand, but the woman won’t release him. Puzzled, he stares down at her long, spindly fingers. “Why?”_

_“They will betray you, stupid child!” she snaps, voice harsh. “Swear it!_ Swear _it!”_

_Jeremy startles, ripping his hand from her grasp. The fog over his brain and the fog at the edge of his vision vanishes in a puff of smoke, and Jeremy looks back up at her to see a long, haggard face with stormy grey eyes and a snarl on her cracked lips._

_The woman stares at him outraged before lunging forward, crooked hands held like claws. A large shield like structure appears out of thin air and slams her backwards, Axial’s holy symbol a radiant, golden glow, blazing bright in the middle as if made out of fire._

_“Tell me your name!” the woman wails. The smell of burning flesh hits Jeremy’s nose and he struggles not to retch. She snarls at him while a strong gale starts whipping at their clothes, driving them apart. “Tell me your name, key!”_

_Jeremy stares at her as the ground between them cracks and splinters until there is an entire canyon separating them._

_“I will find you!” the woman shrieks. “You will not escape me! Not again!”_

 

* * *

 

He jolts upright with a scream on the tip of his tongue. Gasping, he presses a fist to his chest, feeling as if fire is consuming his veins. He coughs, hunching over the floor, and dark grey matter drops to the ground. Jeremy stares unblinkingly at the wet ash. A hand on his shoulder makes him flinch.

“Jeremy,” somebody says right into his ear. The hand is holding him upright he realizes. “Jeremy, come on.”

“My Queen!” another person is calling out. “Are you alright?”

“Jeremy, buddy?” Geoff, he realizes distantly. “Come on, answer us.”

“What-?” Jeremy manages, headache pulsing behind his eyes. “What happened?”

“Well-” Geoff starts to say, relief ringing in his voice, before a female voice cuts through the general panic and chatter.

“Who is that man?” The Queen asks, voice different from the false Queen in his… vision? Silence greets her. “Well? Somebody answer me.”

“His name is Jeremy, Your Majesty,” Jack answers hastily. His legs shift in Jeremy’s peripheral, like he’s moving in front of him. “He’s a temporary member of the Hunters.”

The Queen pauses for a moment. “Temporary?” she hums thoughtfully. For some reason, Jeremy gets the impression that she finds it funny. “Well, that’s got to change.”

There’s a flurry of movement as she shakes off her advisors and walks over to them. Geoff tenses behind him, and Jack stays where he is, his aura radiating stubbornness. They’re afraid, Jeremy realizes suddenly. They’re moving to protect him. It settles like a warm coal just below his heart, calms his nerves.

He looks up at the approaching Queen and knows he has nothing to be afraid of.

“Your Majesty.” He bows as well as he can, still sitting on the floor. “What did you see?”

She pauses in front of him, and he meets her considering gaze.

“A wide, gaping canyon,” she says, her voice taking on a melodic, hypnotizing rhythm. “Darkness that covers the lands. Endless fighting, hope lost. But then… A light. A key.” She blinks, and her voice returns to a normal timbre. “Jeremy of the Hunters. Fate has brought you here in our time of need.”

“I’d call it bad timing, more like,” Jeremy jokes weakly as he stands up with Geoff’s help. The Queen arches a brow, but continues as if he hasn’t said anything.

“War threatens Our kingdom. Shadow creatures gather at our borders, looking for a weakness. The first skirmishes are being fought as we speak.” She tilts her head and stares past him. “We do not know Our enemy. But you.” And her eyes lose the far-away look as she focuses back on Jeremy. “You, We have seen. Ask your favour. Riches, fame, a title, lands- it shall be yours if you join Us in the defense of Our realm.”

 _Matt_ , he thinks, and the grief hits harder for how sudden it is. He pushes the thought away.

“There is nothing- I’ve lost everything,” Jeremy blurts out, dropping his gaze. “There is nothing I want that You could give, Your Majesty.”

The Queen gives him a sad look, gently touching his shoulder. “Will you still fight for Our people?”

Jeremy shrugs. “I got nothing else to do.”

“Good enough,” she decides, nodding resolutely, before turning to Lindsay. “It would be to my wishes to induct this man into the Order of Rooster Teeth, but the Hunters division is yours to lead.”

“It shall be done as Your Majesty wishes,” Lindsay promises and bows.

Jack offers Jeremy a hand and helps steadying him, legs still wobbly from his sudden collapse. He bows his head to the Queen.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my best.”

He still isn’t sure what he wants, but he knows better than to disagree with royalty, especially when he needs all the help he can get. Jeremy hesitates.

“There is… one thing I would ask, Your Majesty.” He glances up, and the Queen motions for him to continue. “I need… information about a man called Matt. He was born over a century ago in this very city. I would know his fate.”

The Queen musters him intently. “I will send my scholars to check the archives.” She pauses, folding her hands delicately in front of her. “Is there anything else you know that might narrow the search?”

Jeremy very carefully doesn’t look at his companions, even as he feels the curiosity radiating from them.

“He was an acolyte at one of the smaller local temples,” he offers, and the Queen nods.

“That should hasten their progress.” She turns towards Lindsay with a resolute look. “Now. Regarding recent developments, I would ask you to assign this specific group to head to the East. There’s been worrisome reports coming from the borders of attacks and raids.”

“Bandits?” Ryan asks. He sounds bored.

“Possibly.” The Queen shrugs. “However, the attacks are suspiciously organized. It is your task to find more information, should you accept.”

“You spoke of shadow creatures, earlier,” Jack muses, looking thoughtful.

“Tall, slender shadows with burning purple eyes,” the blonde tiefling pipes up, popping up next to the Queen. “Nothing I’ve ever seen before, and their capabilities are unknown. Be careful, guys.”

“We will, Barb,” Gavin promises her with a quick grin.

“We’ll need more supplies,” Geoff points out, throwing an arm over Jeremy’s shoulders. “And this guy needs to be outfitted.”

The Queen nods gracefully. “I’ve assumed as much. I’ve sent for-”

The doors to the war room bang open, a dark-haired man marching inside. He’s wearing dark clothes and a purple cape with white, trimmed fur. A silver coronet sits on his head. The guards and advisors bow as he enters, but Jeremy finds the Hunters’ reaction a lot more telling. They tense, with Gavin averting his eyes and Mogar’s fists clenching. Jack’s smile grows strained, and a small frown furrows Geoff’s brow. Out of all of them, Ryan probably has the best poker face. Only Lindsay doesn’t bat an eye at the newcomer.

“You called, my love?” the man asks, taking the Queen’s hand and brushing a courtier’s kiss above her knuckles. Then he looks up to glance over the assembled with a narrow gaze.

“Indeed,” the Queen says with a small smile. “Would you make sure the Hunters have access to everything they need for their quest? I’m afraid it’s rather important.”

“Sure, why not,” the man agrees easily, shrugging. “Anything for you, Tina.”

He brushes a chaste kiss to her cheek, making her blush. “Thanks, Ray.”

That name makes Jeremy freeze. He glances around, takes in Gavin’s slumped shoulders, Mogar almost vibrating out of his own body with deeply buried fury, the tense set of Geoff’s mouth-

“Wait,” he blurts, and all eyes turn to him. “You’re Ray? _That_ Ray?”

The man glances between him and the Hunters surrounding him.

“Yes?” he asks, voice sounding dry and a little confused. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the confusion Jeremy feels.

“I thought you were _dead_ ,” he says, looking towards his companions wildly. They all avert their gazes, and Geoff even has the audacity to start _whistling_.

Ray’s mouth tightens, and then he sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He turns to the Hunters with an exasperated glare. “Quit telling everyone I’m dead!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Kays first told Missy of her new story idea, she sold it to her as a "Sleeping Beauty AU but with DnD and set in Minecraft". And look where we are now.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the new chapter <3 Kays is convinced we can probably squeeze another chapter out by summer, while Missy is just glad that we exceeded the two-chapters-per-year trend xD


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